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 called together all the house of Juda and of Benjamin, a hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men and warriors, to fight against Israel, and to bring back his kingdom to him.

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

And the word of the Lord came to Semeias 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 the king of Juda, and to all Israel, in Juda and Benjamin:

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 saith the Lord: You shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: let every man return to his own house, for by my will this thing has been done. And when they heard the word of the Lord, they returned, and did not go against Jeroboam,

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

And Roboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built walled cities in Juda.

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

And he built Bethlehem, and Etam, and Thecue,

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

And Bethsur, and Socho, and Odollam,

8 and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

And Geth, and Maresa, and Ziph,

9 and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

And Aduram, and Lachis, and Azecha,

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

Saraa also, and Aialon, and Hebron, which are in Juda and Benjamin, well fenced cities.

11 And he strengthens the bulwarks, and puts leaders in them, and treasures of food, and oil, and wine,

And when he had enclosed them with walls, he put in them governors and storehouses of provisions, that is, of oil and of wine.

12 and in each and every city [he puts] bucklers and spears, and strengthens them very greatly; and he has Judah and Benjamin.

Moreover in every city he made an armoury of shields and spears, and he fortified them with great diligence, and he reigned over 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 Levites, that were in all Israel, came to him out of all their seats,

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,

Leaving their suburbs, and their possessions, and passing over to Juda, and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off, from executing the priestly office 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 to himself priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had 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.

Moreover out of all the tribes of Israel, whosoever gave their heart to seek the Lord the God of Israel, came into Jerusalem to sacrifice their victims before the Lord the 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 established Roboam the son of Solomon for three years: for they walked in the ways of David and of Solomon, only three years.

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 wife Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David: and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Isai.

19 And she bears sons to him: Jeush, and Shamaria, and Zaham.

And they bore him sons Jehus, and Somorias, and Zoom.

20 And after her he has taken Maachah daughter of Absalom, and she bears to him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

And after her he married Maacha the daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abia and Ethai, and Ziza, and Salomith.

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 Absalom above all his wives, and concubines: for he had married eighteen wives, and threescore concubines: and he beget eight and twenty sons, and threescore daughters.

22 And Rehoboam appoints Abijah son of Maachah for head, for leader among his brothers, for to cause him to reign.

But he put at the head of them Abia the son of Maacha to be the chief ruler over all his brethren: for he meant 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].

Because he was wiser and mightier than all his sons, and in all the countries of Juda, and of Benjamin, and in all the walled cities: and he gave them provisions in abundance, and he sought many wives.