11
1 When
Rehoboam had come
to Jerusalem, he
assembled the
house of Judah
and Benjamin, one
hundred eighty thousand chosen
men who were
warriors, to fight
against Israel, to
bring the kingdom
again to Rehoboam.
2 But
the LORD’s word
came to Shemaiah
the man of God,
saying,
3 “Speak to
Rehoboam the son
of Solomon, king
of Judah, and
to all Israel
in Judah and
Benjamin, saying,
4 ‘The
LORD says, “You
shall not go
up, nor fight
against your brothers!
Every man return
to his house;
for this thing
is of me.” ’ ”
So they listened
to the LORD’s
words, and
returned from
going against
Jeroboam.
5 Rehoboam
lived in Jerusalem,
and 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
in Benjamin.
11 He
fortified the strongholds
and put captains
in them with stores
of food, oil
and wine.
12 He
put shields and
spears in every
city, and made
them exceedingly
strong. Judah and
Benjamin belonged
to him.
13 The
priests and the
Levites who were
in all Israel
stood with him
out of all
their territory.
14 For
the Levites left
their pasture
lands and
their possessions, and
came to Judah
and Jerusalem; for
Jeroboam and his
sons cast them
off, that they
should not execute
the priest’s office
to the LORD.
15 He
himself appointed
priests for the
high places, for
the male goat
and calf idols
which he had
made.
16 After
them, out of
all the tribes
of Israel, those
who set their
hearts to seek
the LORD, the
God of Israel,
came to Jerusalem
to sacrifice to
the LORD, the
God of
their fathers.
17 So
they strengthened
the kingdom of
Judah and made
Rehoboam the son
of Solomon strong
for three years,
for they walked
three years in
the way of
David and Solomon.
18 Rehoboam
took a wife
for himself, Mahalath
the daughter
of Jerimoth the
son of David
and of Abihail the
daughter of Eliab
the son of
Jesse.
19 She bore
him sons: Jeush,
Shemariah, and
Zaham.
20 After her,
he took Maacah
the granddaughter
of Absalom; and she
bore him Abijah,
Attai, Ziza, and
Shelomith.
21 Rehoboam loved Maacah
the granddaughter
of Absalom above all
his wives and his
concubines; for he
took eighteen wives
and sixty
concubines, and
became the father
of twenty-eight
sons and sixty
daughters.
22 Rehoboam
appointed Abijah the
son of Maacah
to be chief,
the prince among
his brothers, for
he intended to
make him king.
23 He dealt
wisely, and dispersed
some of his
sons throughout
all the lands of
Judah and Benjamin,
to every fortified
city. He gave
them food in
abundance; and he
sought many wives
for them.