2 Chronicles 11

1 And when Rehoboam had entered Jerusalem, he called together the house of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, warriors, —to fight against Israel, to bring back the kingdom to Rehoboam.

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.

2 Then came the word of Yahweh, unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying:

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

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

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

4 Thus, saith Yahweh, Ye shall not go up neither shall ye fight against your brethren, return every man to his own house, for, from me, hath this thing been brought about. So they hearkened unto the words of Yahweh, and turned back from going against Jeroboam.

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.

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

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

6 yea he built Bethlehem and Etam, and Tekoa;

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

7 and Beth-zur and Soco, and Adullam;

And Beth-zur and Soco and Adullam

8 and Gath and Mareshah, and Ziph;

And Gath and Mareshah and Ziph

9 and Adoraim and Lachish, and Azekah;

And Adoraim and Lachish and Azekah

10 and Zorah, and Aijalon and Hebron, which are in Judah and Benjamin, —as fortified cities.

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

11 And he strengthened the fortified places, —and put therein captains, and stores of food, and oil and wine;

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

12 and, in every several city, shields and spears, and made them exceedingly strong, —thus Judah and Benjamin remained his.

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

13 And, the priests and Levites that were in all Israel, took their stand with him, out of all their boundaries.

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

14 For the Levites left their pasture lands, and their possessions, and came to Judah, and to Jerusalem, —for Jeroboam and his sons cast them off, from ministering as priests unto Yahweh;

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;

15 and appointed for himself priests for the high places, and for the demons—and for the calves which he had made.

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

16 And, after them—out of all the tribes of Israel, such as were setting their heart to seek Yahweh God of Israel, came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto Yahweh, God of their fathers.

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.

17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and emboldened Rehoboam son of Solomon, for three years, —for they walked in the way of David and Solomon, for three years.

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.

18 And Rehoboam took him to wife, Mahalath, daughter of Jerimoth, son of David, —and Abihail, daughter of Eliab, son of Jesse;

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;

19 and she bare him sons, —Jeush and Shamariah and Zaham.

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

20 And, after her, he took Maacah, daughter of Absolom, —and she bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

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

21 And Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absolom, above all his wives and his concubines, for, eighteen wives, took he, and sixty concubines, —and begat twenty-eight sons, and sixty daughters.

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.)

22 So then Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as head, to be chief ruler among his brethren, —yea that he might make him king.

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

23 So he took heed, and dispersed all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, unto all the fortified cities, and gave them food in abundance, —and asked a multitude of wives.

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.