11 Rehoboam arrived back in Jerusalem. He brought together all the men from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin who knew how to fight. There were 180,000 of them. Rehoboam wanted to attack the Israelite tribes so that he could rule them again as king. 2 But the Lord told the prophet Shemaiah, 3 ‘Say this to Solomon's son Rehoboam, the king of Judah. Say it to all the Israelite people who belong to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. 4 This is what the Lord says: “Do not go and attack your brothers. Do not fight against them. Instead, you must all go home. I, the Lord , have decided that this must happen.” ’
So they obeyed the Lord 's message. They did not go to attack Jeroboam. [ a ]
5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem. He built these strong cities in Judah to make it safe:
6 Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
7 Beth-Zur, Soco, Adullam,
8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
10 Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron.
He made all those cities in Judah and Benjamin very strong. 11 He made their buildings stronger. He put important officers in them to rule over them. He stored food, olive oil and wine in them. 12 He supplied every city with shields and spears. He did all these things to make them very strong places. So Rehoboam kept his authority over Judah and Benjamin.
13 The priests and Levites who lived everywhere in Israel agreed to serve Rehoboam. 14 The Levites even left their lands and their houses to come to Judah and Jerusalem. [ b ] They came because Jeroboam and his sons refused to let them serve the Lord as his priests. 15 Jeroboam chose his own priests to offer sacrifices at the altars that he had built on the hills. They worshipped the idols of goats and young bulls that Jeroboam had made. 16 But some people from every tribe in Israel still wanted to worship the Lord , Israel's God. So they came with the Levites to Jerusalem. They came to offer sacrifices to the Lord , the God of their ancestors. 17 These people helped to make the kingdom of Judah stronger. They were faithful to Solomon's son Rehoboam for three years. During that time, they lived in the way that David and Solomon had taught them to live.
18 Rehoboam married Mahalath. Her father was David's son Jerimoth. Her mother was Abihail, the daughter of Jesse's son Eliab. 19 She gave birth to three sons for Rehoboam. Their names were Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham. 20 Then Rehoboam married Absalom's daughter Maakah. She gave birth to Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith for him. 21 Rehoboam loved Absalom's daughter Maakah better than he loved any of his other wives. He had 18 wives and 60 slave wives. He was the father of 28 sons and 60 daughters.
22 Rehoboam chose Maakah's son Abijah to be the leader over his other sons. He wanted Abijah to become the next king. 23 He did a wise thing with his other sons. He sent many of them to the different regions of Judah and Benjamin, to live in all the strong cities. He supplied them with plenty of food. He also found many women to become their wives.
11 Rehoboam went back to Jerusalem and gathered together an army of 180,000 men from the families of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin. Rehoboam wanted to go fight against the Israelites and take back his kingdom. 2 But the Lord spoke to a man of God named Shemaiah. He said, 3 “Talk to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to men of Judah and Benjamin. 4 Say to them, ‘The Lord says that you must not go to war against your brothers. Everyone, go home! I made all this happen.’” So all the men in Rehoboam’s army obeyed the Lord and went home. They did not attack Jeroboam.
5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built strong cities in Judah to defend against attacks. 6 He repaired the cities of Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These cities in Judah and Benjamin were made strong. 11 When Rehoboam made these cities strong, he put commanders in them. He also put supplies of food, oil, and wine in them. 12 Also, he put shields and spears in every city and made the cities very strong. He kept the peoples and cities of Judah and Benjamin under his control.
13 The priests and the Levites from all over Israel agreed with Rehoboam and joined him. 14 The Levites left their grasslands and their own fields and came to Judah and Jerusalem. The Levites did this because Jeroboam and his sons refused to let them serve as priests to the Lord .
15 Jeroboam chose his own priests to serve in the high places, where he set up the goat and calf idols he had made. 16 When the Levites left Israel, the people in all the tribes of Israel who were faithful to the Lord , the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord , the God of their fathers. 17 These people made the kingdom of Judah strong, and they supported Solomon’s son Rehoboam for three years. They did this because during that time they lived the way David and Solomon had lived.
18 Rehoboam married Mahalath. Her father was Jerimoth. Her mother was Abihail. Jerimoth was David’s son. Abihail was Eliab’s daughter, and Eliab was Jesse’s son. 19 Mahalath gave Rehoboam these sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 20 Then Rehoboam married Maacah. Maacah was Absalom’s granddaughter. [ a ] And Maacah gave Rehoboam these children: Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 Rehoboam loved Maacah more that he loved all his other wives and slave women. Rehoboam had 18 wives and 60 slave women. He was the father of 28 sons and 60 daughters.
22 Rehoboam chose Abijah to be the leader among his own brothers. He did this because he planned to make Abijah king. 23 Rehoboam acted wisely and spread all his sons through all the areas of Judah and Benjamin to every strong city. And Rehoboam gave plenty of supplies to his sons. He also looked for wives for them.
11 And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.
2 But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
3 Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,
4 Thus saith the Lord , Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the Lord , and returned from going against Jeroboam.
5 And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.
6 He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,
7 And Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam,
8 And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,
9 And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,
10 And Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities.
11 And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine.
12 And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.
13 And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts.
14 For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest's office unto the Lord :
15 And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.
16 And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the Lord God of their fathers.
17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.
18 And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;
19 Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.
20 And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.
21 And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.)
22 And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king.
23 And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city: and he gave them victual in abundance. And he desired many wives.
11 ( A ) Now when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. 2 But the word of the Lord came to ( B ) Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3 “Tell Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, 4 ‘This is what the Lord says: “You shall not go up nor fight against ( C ) your relatives; return, every man, to his house, ( D ) for this [ a ] event is from Me.”’” So they listened to the words of the Lord and returned from going against Jeroboam.
5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and ( E ) built cities for defense in Judah. 6 He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. 11 He also strengthened the fortresses and put officers in them and supplies of food, oil, and wine. 12 He put shields and spears in every city and strengthened them greatly. So he held Judah and Benjamin.
13 Moreover, the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel also stood with him from all their districts.
14 For ( F ) the Levites left their pasture lands and their property and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because ( G ) Jeroboam and his sons had excluded them from serving as priests to the Lord . 15 ( H ) He set up priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs and the calves which he had made. 16 ( I ) Those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the Lord God of Israel [ b ] followed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers. 17 ( J ) They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
18 Then Rehoboam married Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David and of Abihail the daughter of ( K ) Eliab the son of Jesse, 19 and she bore to him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 20 After her he married ( L ) Maacah the daughter of [ c ] Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and concubines. For ( M ) he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. 22 ( N ) Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah as head and leader among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. 23 He acted wisely and distributed [ d ] some of his sons through all the territories of Judah and Benjamin to all the fortified cities, and he gave them plenty of provisions. And he sought many wives for them .
11 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, ( A ) he mustered Judah and Benjamin—a hundred and eighty thousand able young men—to go to war against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam.
2 But this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah ( B ) the man of God: 3 “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, 4 ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your fellow Israelites. ( C ) Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.’” So they obeyed the words of the Lord and turned back from marching against Jeroboam.
5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built up towns for defense in Judah: 6 Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth Zur, Soko, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron. These were fortified cities ( D ) in Judah and Benjamin. 11 He strengthened their defenses and put commanders in them, with supplies of food, olive oil and wine. 12 He put shields and spears in all the cities, and made them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his.
13 The priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel sided with him. 14 The Levites ( E ) even abandoned their pasturelands and property ( F ) and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the Lord 15 when he appointed ( G ) his own priests ( H ) for the high places and for the goat ( I ) and calf ( J ) idols he had made. 16 Those from every tribe of Israel ( K ) who set their hearts on seeking the Lord , the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the Lord , the God of their ancestors. 17 They strengthened ( L ) the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon three years, following the ways of David and Solomon during this time.
18 Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab. 19 She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham. 20 Then he married Maakah ( M ) daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, ( N ) Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. 21 Rehoboam loved Maakah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives ( O ) and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah ( P ) son of Maakah as crown prince among his brothers, in order to make him king. 23 He acted wisely, dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions ( Q ) and took many wives for them.
