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 Rehoboam had entered Jerusalem, he called together the house of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, warriors, —to fight against Israel, to bring back the kingdom to Rehoboam.
2 But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God:
Then came the word of Yahweh, unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying:
3 “Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin
Speak unto Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, —and unto all Israel in Judah and in 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, saith Yahweh, Ye shall not go up neither shall ye fight against your brethren, return every man to his own house, for, from me, hath this thing been brought about. So they hearkened unto the words of Yahweh, and turned back from going against Jeroboam.
5 Rehoboam continued to live in Jerusalem, and he built up cities for defense in Judah.
And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, —and built cities for defence, in Judah;
6 He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
yea he built Bethlehem and Etam, and Tekoa;
7 Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,
and Beth-zur and Soco, and Adullam;
8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
and Gath and Mareshah, and Ziph;
9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
and Adoraim and Lachish, and Azekah;
10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.
and Zorah, and Aijalon and Hebron, which are in Judah and Benjamin, —as fortified cities.
11 He strengthened their fortresses and put officers in them, with supplies of food, oil, and wine.
And he strengthened the fortified places, —and put therein captains, 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 every several city, shields and spears, and made them exceedingly strong, —thus Judah and Benjamin remained his.
13 Moreover, the priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel stood with Rehoboam.
And, the priests and Levites that were in all Israel, took their stand with him, out of all their boundaries.
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 pasture lands, and their possessions, and came to Judah, and to Jerusalem, —for Jeroboam and his sons cast them off, from ministering as priests unto Yahweh;
15 And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made.
and appointed for himself priests for the high places, and for the demons—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—out of all the tribes of Israel, such as were setting their heart to seek Yahweh God of Israel, came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto Yahweh, 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.
So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and emboldened Rehoboam son of Solomon, for three years, —for they walked in the way of David and Solomon, for 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 Rehoboam took him to wife, Mahalath, daughter of Jerimoth, son of David, —and Abihail, daughter of Eliab, son of Jesse;
19 She bore sons to him: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
and she bare him sons, —Jeush and Shamariah and Zaham.
20 After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
And, after her, he took Maacah, daughter of Absolom, —and she bare him Abijah, 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 Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absolom, above all his wives and his concubines, for, eighteen wives, took he, and sixty concubines, —and begat twenty-eight sons, and sixty daughters.
22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, intending to make him king.
So then Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as head, to be chief ruler among his brethren, —yea that he might 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.
So he took heed, and dispersed all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, unto all the fortified cities, and gave them food in abundance, —and asked a multitude of wives.
