2 Chronicles 11

1 And Rehoboam came to Jerusalem; and he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men apt for war, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.

Forsothe Roboam cam in to Jerusalem, and clepide togidere al the hows of Juda and of Beniamyn, `til to nyne scoore thousynde of chosen men and werriouris, for to fiyte ayens Israel, and for to turne his rewme to hym.

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

And the word of the Lord was maad to Semeye, the man of God,

3 Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

and seide, Speke thou to Roboam, the sone of Salomon, kyng of Juda, and to al Israel, which is in Juda and Beniamyn; The Lord seith these thingis,

4 Thus saith Jehovah: Go not up, nor fight with your brethren; return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. And they hearkened to the words of Jehovah, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

Ye schulen not stie, nethir ye schulen fiyte ayens youre britheren; ech man turne ayen in to his hows, for this thing is doon bi my wille. And whanne thei hadden herd the word of the Lord, thei turneden ayen, and yeden not ayens kyng Jeroboam.

5 And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.

Forsothe Roboam dwellide in Jerusalem, and he bildide wallid citees in Juda;

6 And he built Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

and bildide Bethleem, and Ethan, and Thecue, and Bethsur;

7 and Beth-zur, and Soco, and Adullam,

and Sochot, and Odollam;

8 and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

also and Jeth, and Maresa, and Ziph;

9 and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

but also Huram, and Lachis, and Azecha;

10 and Zorah, and Ajalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities.

and Saraa, and Hailon, and Ebron, that weren in Juda and Beniamyn, ful strong citees.

11 And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of victuals, and of oil and wine;

And whanne he hadde closid tho with wallis, he settide `in tho citees princes, and bernes of metis, that is, of oile, and of wyn.

12 and in every several city, targets and spears, and made them exceedingly strong. And Judah and Benjamin were his.

But also in ech citee he made placis of armuris of scheeldis, and speris, and he made tho strong with most diligence; and he regnyde on Juda and Beniamyn.

13 And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their districts;

Sotheli the preestis and dekenes, that weren in al Israel, camen to hym fro alle her seetis,

14 for the Levites left their suburbs and their possessions, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from exercising the priesthood to Jehovah;

and forsoken her subarbis and possessiouns, and thei passiden to Juda and to Jerusalem; for Jeroboam and hise aftir comeris hadden cast hem a wey, that thei schulden not be set in preesthod of the Lord;

15 and he ordained for himself priests for the high places, and for the he-goats and for the calves that he had made.

which Jeroboam made to hym preestis of hiye places, and of feendis, and of caluys, which he hadde maad.

16 — And after them, those out of all the tribes of Israel that set their heart to seek Jehovah the God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to Jehovah the God of their fathers.

But also of alle the linagis of Israel, whiche euer yauen her herte to seke the Lord God of Israel, thei camen to Jerusalem for to offre her sacrifices bifor the Lord God of her fadris.

17 And they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong three years; for during three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.

And thei strengthiden the rewme of Juda, and strengthiden Roboam, the sone of Salomon, bi thre yeer; for thei yeden in the weies of Dauid, and of Salomon, oneli bi thre yeer.

18 And Rehoboam took Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David as wife, [and of] Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse.

Forsothe Roboam weddide a wijf Malaoth, the douytir of Jerymuth, sone of Dauid, and Abiail, the douytir of Heliab, sone of Ysaye;

19 And she bore him children: Jeush, and Shemariah, and Zaham.

and sche childide to hym sones, Yeus, and Somorie, and Zerei.

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

Also after this wijf he took Maacha, the douyter of Abissalon, and sche childide to hym Abia, and Thai, and Ziza, and Salomyth.

21 And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines; for he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

Forsothe Roboam louyde Maacha, the douytir of Abissalon, aboue alle hise wyues and secundarie wyues. Forsothe he hadde weddid eiytene wyues, sotheli sixti secundarie wyues; and he gendride eiyte and twenti sones, and sixti douytris.

22 And Rehoboam established Abijah the son of Maachah at the head, to be ruler among his brethren; for [he thought] to make him king.

Sotheli he ordeynede Abia, the sone of Maacha, in the heed, duyk ouer alle hise britheren; for he thouyte to make Abia kyng,

23 And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to all the fortified cities; and he gave them food in abundance. And he desired [for them] a multitude of wives.

for he was wisere and myytiere ouer alle hise sones, and in alle the coostis of Juda and of Beniamyn, and in alle wallid citees; and he yaf to hem ful many metis, and he had many wyues.