2 Chronicles 11

1 And Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, and got together the men of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand of his best fighting-men, to make war against Israel and get the kingdom back for Rehoboam.

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.

2 But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, the man of God, saying,

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

3 Say to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin,

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

4 The Lord has said, You are not to go to war against your brothers: let every man go back to his house, for this thing is my purpose. So they gave ear to the words of the Lord and were turned back from fighting against Jeroboam.

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.

5 Now Rehoboam kept in Jerusalem, building walled towns in Judah.

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

6 He was the builder of Beth-lehem and Etam and Tekoa

He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

7 And Beth-zur and Soco and Adullam

Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,

8 And Gath and Mareshah and Ziph

Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,

9 And Adoraim and Lachish and Azekah

Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

10 And Zorah and Aijalon and Hebron, walled towns in Judah and Benjamin.

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

11 And he made the walled towns strong, and he put captains in them and stores of food, oil, and wine.

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

12 And in every town he put stores of body-covers and spears, and made them very strong. And Judah and Benjamin were his.

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

13 And the priests and Levites who were in all Israel came together to him from every part of their country.

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

14 For the Levites gave up their living-places and their property, and came to Judah and Jerusalem; for Jeroboam and his sons had sent them away, not letting them be priests to the Lord;

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.

15 And he himself made priests for the high places, and for the images of he-goats and oxen which he had made.

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

16 And after them, from all the tribes of Israel, all those whose hearts were fixed and true to the Lord, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to make offerings to the Lord, the God of their fathers.

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.

17 So they went on increasing the power of the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, strong for three years; and for three years they went in the ways of David and Solomon.

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.

18 And Rehoboam took as his wife Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, the son of David and of Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, the son of Jesse;

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

19 And she had sons by him, Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

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

20 And after her he took Maacah, the daughter of Absalom; and she had Abijah and Attai and Ziza and Shelomith by him.

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

21 Maacah, the daughter of Absalom, was dearer to Rehoboam than all his wives and his servant-wives: (for he had eighteen wives and sixty servant-wives, and was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.)

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.

22 Rehoboam made Abijah, the son of Maacah, chief and ruler among his brothers, for it was his purpose to make him king.

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

23 And in his wisdom he had his sons stationed in every walled town through all the lands of Judah and Benjamin; and he gave them a great store of food, and took wives for them.

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.