2 Chronicles 11

1 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.

And Roboam came to Jerusalem; and he assembled Juda and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand young men fit for war, and he waged war with Israel to recover the kingdom to Roboam.

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

And the Word of the Lord came to Samaias the man of God, saying,

3 Say unto Rehobo'am the son of Solomon, the king of Judah and Benjamin, saying,

Speak to Roboam the [son] of Solomon, and to all Juda and Benjamin, saying,

4 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.

Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up, and you shall not war against your brethren: return every one to his home; for this thing is of me. And they listened to the word of the Lord, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

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

And Roboam lived in Jerusalem, and he built walled cities in Judea.

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

And he built Bethleem, and Aetan and Thecoe,

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

and Baethsura, and Sochoth, and Odollam,

8 And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

and Geth, and Marisa, and Ziph,

9 And Adorayim and Lachish, and 'Azekah,

and Adorai, and Lachis, and Azeca,

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

and Saraa, and Aelom, and Chebron, which belong to Juda and Benjamin, walled cities.

11 And he strengthened the strong-holds, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, and oil and wine;

And he fortified them with walls, and placed in them captains, and stores of provisions, oil and wine,

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

shields and spears in every several city, and he fortified them very strongly, and he had on his side Juda and Benjamin.

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

And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel were gathered to him out of all the coasts.

14 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,

For the Levites left the tents of their possession, and went to Juda to Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had ejected them so that they should not minister to the Lord.

15 And [because] he ordained for himself priests for the high-places, and for the evil spirits, and for the calves which he had made.

And he made for himself priests of the high places, and for the idols, and for the vanities, and for the calves which Jeroboam made.

16 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.

And he cast out from the tribes of Israel those who set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel: and they came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers.

17 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.

And they strengthened the kingdom of Juda; and [Juda] strengthened Roboam the [son] of Solomon for three years, for he walked three years in the ways of David and Solomon.

18 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;

And Roboam took to himself for a wife, Moolath daughter of Jerimuth the son of David, and Abigaia daughter of Heliab the son of Jessae.

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

And she bore him sons; Jeus, and Samoria, and Zaam.

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

And afterwards he took to himself Maacha the daughter of Abessalom; and she bore him Abia, and Jetthi, and Zeza, and Salemoth.

21 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.

And Roboam loved Maacha the daughter of Abessalom more than all his wives and all his concubines: for he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines; and he begot twenty-eight sons, and sixty daughters.

22 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.

And he made Abia the son of Maacha chief, [even] a leader amongst his brethren, for he intended to make him king.

23 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.

And he was exalted beyond all his [other] sons in all the coasts of Juda and Benjamin, and in the strong cities; and he gave them provisions in great abundance: and he desired many wives.