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 when Rehobo'am was come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, warriors, to fight against Israel, to bring back the kingdom again to Rehobo'am.

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

But the word of the Lord came unto Shema'yahu the man of God, saying,

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

Say unto Rehobo'am the son of Solomon, the king of Judah 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 hath said the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight with your brethren: return every man to his house; for from me hath this thing been brought about. And they hearkened to the words of the Lord, and returned from going against Jerobo'am.

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

And Rehobo'am dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities as fortresses in Judah.

6 He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

He built, namely, Beth-lechem, and 'Etam, and Thekoa'.

7 Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,

And Beth-zur, and Socho, and 'Adullam,

8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,

And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

And Adorayim and Lachish, and 'Azekah,

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

And Zor'ah, and Ayalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities.

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

And he strengthened the strong-holds, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, and 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.

And in each and every city [he placed] shields and spears, and made them exceedingly strong: and thus remained with him Judah and Benjamin.

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

And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel presented themselves to him out of all their territory.

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 their open districts and their possession, and went to Judah and Jerusalem; because Jerobo'am and his sons cast them off from executing the priest's office unto 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 [because] he ordained for himself priests for the high-places, and for the evil spirits, and for the calves which he had 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 after them [came] out of all the tribes of Israel such as directed their heart to seek the Lord the God of Israel: these came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the Lord, the 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 Judah, and brought power to Rehobo'am, the son of Solomon, during three years; for they walked in the way of David and Solomon during three years.

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 Rehobo'am took himself as wife Machalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, [and] Abichayil the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;

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

And she bore to him sons: Je'ush, and Shamaryah, and Zaham.

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

And after her did he take Ma'achah the daughter of Abshalom; and she bore to him Abiyah, and 'Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

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 Rehobo'am loved Ma'achah the daughter of Abshalom more than all his wives and his concubines; for he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines; and he begat twenty and eight sons, and sixty daughters.

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

And Rehobo'am appointed Abiyah the son of Ma'achah to be the chief, to be ruler among his brethren; because [he desired] 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 dealt understandingly, and dispersed all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto all the fortified cities; and he gave them food in abundance and he required [for them] a multitude of wives.