2 Chronicles 11

1 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the house of Judah and Benjamin—180,000 chosen warriors—to fight against Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.

And Roboam came to Jerusalem; and he assembled Juda and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand young men fit for war, and he waged war with Israel to recover the kingdom to Roboam.

2 But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God:

And the Word of the Lord came to Samaias the man of God, saying,

3 “Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin

Speak to Roboam the [son] of Solomon, and to all Juda and Benjamin, saying,

4 that this is what the LORD says: ‘You are not to go up and fight against your brothers. Each of you must return home, for this word is from Me.’” So they listened to the words of the LORD and turned back from going against Jeroboam.

Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up, and you shall not war against your brethren: return every one to his home; for this thing is of me. And they listened to the word of the Lord, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

5 Rehoboam continued to live in Jerusalem, and he built up cities for defense in Judah.

And Roboam lived in Jerusalem, and he built walled cities in Judea.

6 He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

And he built Bethleem, and Aetan and Thecoe,

7 Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,

and Baethsura, and Sochoth, and Odollam,

8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,

and Geth, and Marisa, and Ziph,

9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

and Adorai, and Lachis, and Azeca,

10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.

and Saraa, and Aelom, and Chebron, which belong to Juda and Benjamin, walled cities.

11 He strengthened their fortresses and put officers in them, with supplies of food, oil, and wine.

And he fortified them with walls, and placed in them captains, and stores of provisions, oil and wine,

12 He also put shields and spears in all the cities and strengthened them greatly. So Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.

shields and spears in every several city, and he fortified them very strongly, and he had on his side Juda and Benjamin.

13 Moreover, the priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel stood with Rehoboam.

And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel were gathered to him out of all the coasts.

14 For the Levites left their pasturelands and their possessions and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD.

For the Levites left the tents of their possession, and went to Juda to Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had ejected them so that they should not minister to the Lord.

15 And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made.

And he made for himself priests of the high places, and for the idols, and for the vanities, and for the calves which Jeroboam made.

16 Those from every tribe of Israel who had set their hearts to seek the LORD their God followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers.

And he cast out from the tribes of Israel those who set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel: and they came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers.

17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, because they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon.

And they strengthened the kingdom of Juda; and [Juda] strengthened Roboam the [son] of Solomon for three years, for he walked three years in the ways of David and Solomon.

18 And Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab.

And Roboam took to himself for a wife, Moolath daughter of Jerimuth the son of David, and Abigaia daughter of Heliab the son of Jessae.

19 She bore sons to him: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

And she bore him sons; Jeus, and Samoria, and Zaam.

20 After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.

And afterwards he took to himself Maacha the daughter of Abessalom; and she bore him Abia, and Jetthi, and Zeza, and Salemoth.

21 Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

And Roboam loved Maacha the daughter of Abessalom more than all his wives and all his concubines: for he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines; and he begot twenty-eight sons, and sixty daughters.

22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, intending to make him king.

And he made Abia the son of Maacha chief, [even] a leader among his brethren, for he intended to make him king.

23 Rehoboam also acted wisely by dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and sought many wives for them.

And he was exalted beyond all his [other] sons in all the coasts of Juda and Benjamin, and in the strong cities; and he gave them provisions in great abundance: and he desired many wives.