2 Chronicles 11

1 And Rehoboam comes to Jerusalem, and assembles the house of Judah and Benjamin—one hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors—to fight with Israel, to bring back the kingdom to Rehoboam.

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 And a word of YHWH is to Shemaiah, a man of God, saying,

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

3 “Speak to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

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

4 Thus said YHWH: You do not go up nor fight with your brothers! Let each return to his house, for this thing has been from Me”; and they hear the words of YHWH, and turn back from going against Jeroboam.

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 Rehoboam dwells in Jerusalem, and builds cities for a bulwark in Judah,

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

6 indeed, he builds Beth-Lehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

And he built Bethleem, and Aetan and Thecoe,

7 and Beth-Zur, and Shocho, and Adullam,

and Baethsura, and Sochoth, and Odollam,

8 and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

and Geth, and Marisa, and Ziph,

9 and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

and Adorai, and Lachis, and Azeca,

10 and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, that [are] in Judah and in Benjamin, cities of bulwarks.

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

11 And he strengthens the bulwarks, and puts leaders in them, and treasures 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 puts] bucklers and spears, and strengthens them very greatly; and he has 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 [are] in all Israel have stationed themselves by him, out of all their border,

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

14 for the Levites have left their outskirts and their possession, and they come to Judah and to Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons have cast them off from acting as priests for YHWH,

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 he establishes for himself priests for high places, and for goat [idols] and for calf [idols] that he 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, out of all the tribes of Israel, those giving their heart to seek YHWH, God of Israel, have come to Jerusalem to sacrifice to YHWH, God of their father.

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 strengthen the kingdom of Judah, and strengthen Rehoboam son of Solomon, for three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for 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 Rehoboam takes a wife for himself, Mahalath, child of Jerimoth son of David, [and of] Abigail daughter of Eliab 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 bears sons to him: Jeush, and Shamaria, and Zaham.

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

20 And after her he has taken Maachah daughter of Absalom, and she bears to him Abijah, 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 Rehoboam loves Maachah daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines—for he has taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines—and he begets twenty-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 Rehoboam appoints Abijah son of Maachah for head, for leader among his brothers, for to cause him to reign.

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 has understanding, and disperses from all his sons to all lands of Judah and Benjamin, to all cities of the bulwarks, and gives provision in abundance to them; and he asks for a multitude of wives [for them].

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.