< 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.
וַיָּבֹא רְחַבְעָם יְרוּשָׁלִַם וַיַּקְהֵל אֶת־בֵּית יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן מֵאָה וּשְׁמוֹנִים אֶלֶף בָּחוּר עֹשֵׂה מִלְחָמָה לְהִלָּחֵם עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהָשִׁיב אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָה לִרְחַבְעָֽם׃
2 But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God:
וַיְהִי דְּבַר־יְהוָה אֶל־שְׁמַֽעְיָהוּ אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים לֵאמֹֽר׃
3 “Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin
אֱמֹר אֶל־רְחַבְעָם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹה מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וְאֶל כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּיהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן לֵאמֹֽר׃
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.
כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה לֹא־תַעֲלוּ וְלֹא־תִלָּחֲמוּ עִם־אֲחֵיכֶם שׁוּבוּ אִישׁ לְבֵיתוֹ כִּי מֵֽאִתִּי נִהְיָה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַֽיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי יְהוָה וַיָּשֻׁבוּ מִלֶּכֶת אֶל־יָרָבְעָֽם׃
5 Rehoboam continued to live in Jerusalem, and he built up cities for defense in Judah.
וַיֵּשֶׁב רְחַבְעָם בִּירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם וַיִּבֶן עָרִים לְמָצוֹר בִּיהוּדָֽה׃
6 He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
וַיִּבֶן אֶת־בֵּֽית־לֶחֶם וְאֶת־עֵיטָם וְאֶת־תְּקֽוֹעַ׃
7 Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,
וְאֶת־בֵּֽית־צוּר וְאֶת־שׂוֹכוֹ וְאֶת־עֲדֻלָּֽם׃
8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
וְאֶת־גַּת וְאֶת־מָרֵשָׁה וְאֶת־זִֽיף׃
9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
וְאֶת־אֲדוֹרַיִם וְאֶת־לָכִישׁ וְאֶת־עֲזֵקָֽה׃
10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.
וְאֶת־צָרְעָה וְאֶת־אַיָּלוֹן וְאֶת־חֶבְרוֹן אֲשֶׁר בִּיהוּדָה וּבְבִנְיָמִן עָרֵי מְצֻרֽוֹת׃
11 He strengthened their fortresses and put officers in them, with supplies of food, oil, and wine.
וַיְחַזֵּק אֶת־הַמְּצֻרוֹת וַיִּתֵּן בָּהֶם נְגִידִים וְאֹצְרוֹת מַאֲכָל וְשֶׁמֶן וָיָֽיִן׃
12 He also put shields and spears in all the cities and strengthened them greatly. So Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.
וּבְכָל־עִיר וָעִיר צִנּוֹת וּרְמָחִים וַֽיְחַזְּקֵם לְהַרְבֵּה מְאֹד וַיְהִי־לוֹ יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִֽן׃
13 Moreover, the priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel stood with Rehoboam.
וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם אֲשֶׁר בְּכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל הִֽתְיַצְּבוּ עָלָיו מִכָּל־גְּבוּלָֽם׃
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.
כִּֽי־עָזְבוּ הַלְוִיִּם אֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶם וַאֲחֻזָּתָם וַיֵּלְכוּ לִיהוּדָה וְלִֽירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם כִּֽי־הִזְנִיחָם יָֽרָבְעָם וּבָנָיו מִכַּהֵן לַיהוָֽה׃
15 And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made.
וַיַּֽעֲמֶד־לוֹ כֹּֽהֲנִים לַבָּמוֹת וְלַשְּׂעִירִים וְלָעֲגָלִים אֲשֶׁר עָשָֽׂה׃
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.
וְאַחֲרֵיהֶם מִכֹּל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנֹּֽתְנִים אֶת־לְבָבָם לְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאוּ יְרוּשָׁלִַם לִזְבּוֹחַ לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃
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.
וַֽיְחַזְּקוּ אֶת־מַלְכוּת יְהוּדָה וַֽיְאַמְּצוּ אֶת־רְחַבְעָם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹה לְשָׁנִים שָׁלוֹשׁ כִּי הָֽלְכוּ בְּדֶרֶךְ דָּוִיד וּשְׁלֹמֹה לְשָׁנִים שָׁלֽוֹשׁ׃
18 And Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab.
וַיִּֽקַּֽח־לוֹ רְחַבְעָם אִשָּׁה אֶת־מָחֲלַת בן־בַּת־יְרִימוֹת בֶּן־דָּוִיד אֲבִיהַיִל בַּת־אֱלִיאָב בֶּן־יִשָֽׁי׃
19 She bore sons to him: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
וַתֵּלֶד לוֹ בָּנִים אֶת־יְעוּשׁ וְאֶת־שְׁמַרְיָה וְאֶת־זָֽהַם׃
20 After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
וְאַחֲרֶיהָ לָקַח אֶֽת־מַעֲכָה בַּת־אַבְשָׁלוֹם וַתֵּלֶד לוֹ אֶת־אֲבִיָּה וְאֶת־עַתַּי וְאֶת־זִיזָא וְאֶת־שְׁלֹמִֽית׃
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.
וַיֶּאֱהַב רְחַבְעָם אֶת־מַעֲכָה בַת־אַבְשָׁלוֹם מִכָּל־נָשָׁיו וּפִילַגְשָׁיו כִּי נָשִׁים שְׁמוֹנֶֽה־עֶשְׂרֵה נָשָׂא וּפִֽילַגְשִׁים שִׁשִּׁים וַיּוֹלֶד עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁמוֹנָה בָּנִים וְשִׁשִּׁים בָּנֽוֹת׃
22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, intending to make him king.
וַיַּֽעֲמֵד לָרֹאשׁ רְחַבְעָם אֶת־אֲבִיָּה בֶֽן־מַעֲכָה לְנָגִיד בְּאֶחָיו כִּי לְהַמְלִיכֽוֹ׃
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.
וַיָּבֶן וַיִּפְרֹץ מִכָּל־בָּנָיו לְֽכָל־אַרְצוֹת יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן לְכֹל עָרֵי הַמְּצֻרוֹת וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם הַמָּזוֹן לָרֹב וַיִּשְׁאַל הֲמוֹן נָשִֽׁים׃

< 2 Chronicles 11 >