11 “Then the people of Judah and the people of Israel will be gathered together. They will choose one ruler for themselves. And their nation will be too large for the land! {\cf2\super [9]} Jezreel’s day will be truly great.”
And King Jeroboam started a new holiday. This holiday was like the {Passover} Festival in Judah. But this holiday was on the 15th day of the eighth month {not the 15th day of the first month}. During that time the king offered sacrifices on the altar in the city of Bethel. And he made the sacrifices to the calves that he had made. King Jeroboam also chose priests in Bethel to serve at the high places that he made.
The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel says these things: ‘I will soon stop the sounds of people having fun. I will stop the happy sounds people make during a wedding party. This will happen during your lifetime. I will do these things quickly.’
I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and happiness in those places. There will be no more happy sounds of the brides and bridegrooms. I will take away the sound of people grinding meal. I will take away the light of the lamp.
In the same way, the people of Israel will continue many days without a king or a leader. They will be without a sacrifice or a memorial stone. {\cf2\super [29]} They will be without an ephod {\cf2\super [30]} or a household god.
The temple {\cf2\super [99]} songs will become sad funeral songs. The Lord my Master said those things. There will be dead bodies everywhere. In silence, people will take out the dead bodies and throw them \{onto the pile\}.” {\cf2\super [100]}
You businessmen say,\par “When will the New Moon {\cf2\super [101]} be over\par so we can sell grain?\par When will the Sabbath be over\par so we can bring our wheat \{to sell\}?\par We can raise the price\par and make the measure smaller. {\cf2\super [102]} \par We can adjust the scales\par and cheat the people. {\cf2\super [103]} \par