2 Chronicles 11
1 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he gathered 180,000 of the best soldiers from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. He wanted them to fight against [the northern tribes of] Israel [and defeat them], in order that he could rule [all the tribes of] the kingdom again.
When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he gathered the men from the households of Judah and Benjamin— 180,000 chosen warriors—to go and fight against Israel to bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam.
2 But Yahweh spoke to the prophet Shemaiah and said this to him:
But a message from the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God that said,
3 “Go and tell this to [Solomon’s son] Rehoboam, the king of Judah, and to all the Israeli people of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin:
“Tell Rehoboam, son of Solomon, king of Judah, and of all the Israelites living in Judah and Benjamin:
4 ‘Yahweh says that you must not go to fight against [the people of Israel; they are] your distant relatives. All of you must go home. What has happened is what Yahweh wanted to happen.’” [So Shemaiah went and told that to them, ] and they all heeded what Yahweh had commanded them to do, and they did not attack Jeroboam [and his soldiers].
‘This is what the Lord says. Don't fight against your relatives. Every one of you, go home! For what has happened is down to me.’” So they obeyed what the Lord told them and did not fight against Jeroboam.
5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and his workers built walls around several of the cities and towns in Judah to protect them [against enemy attacks].
Rehoboam stayed in Jerusalem, and he strengthened the defenses of the towns in Judah.
6 In [the area that belonged to] the tribes of Judah and Benjamin they built walls around Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
7 Beth-Zur, Soco, Adullam,
Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,
8 Gath, Mareshah,
Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron.
Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron. These are the fortified towns in Judah and in Benjamin.
11 He also appointed an army commander in each of those cities and towns, and gave them supplies of food, olive oil, and wine [to keep in storage].
He strengthened their fortresses and put commanders in charge of them, together with supplies of food, olive oil, and wine.
12 He put shields and spears in all the cities and made them well-protected. So he continued to rule the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
He stored shields and spears in all the towns and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin under his rule.
13 The priests and other descendants of Levi throughout Israel supported Rehoboam.
However, the priests and Levites throughout Israel chose to side with Rehoboam.
14 The descendants of Levi [who lived outside the territory of Judah and Benjamin] abandoned their property and their pastureland, and they came to Jerusalem and [to other places in] Judah, because Jeroboam and his sons would not allow them to do the work of priests of Yahweh.
The Levites even left their pasturelands and properties behind, and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons refused to allow them to serve as priests of the Lord.
15 Instead, Jeroboam appointed the priests that he wanted to work [at the altars he commanded to be built] on the hilltops, [to offer sacrifices to] the idols that he commanded to be made [that resembled] goats and calves.
Jeroboam chose his own priests for the high places and for the goat and calf idols he had made.
16 And people from every tribe in Israel who wanted to worship Yahweh, the God to whom the Israelis belonged, went with the descendants of Levi to Jerusalem to live there and to offer sacrifices to Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors [worshiped].
Those from every tribe of Israel who were committed to worshiping their God followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their forefathers.
17 They caused the kingdom of Judah to be strong, and for three years they were happy that Solomon’s son Rehoboam was the king. During that time they conducted their lives [righteously] as David and Solomon had done previously.
So they supported the kingdom of Judah and for three years they were loyal to Rehoboam, son of Solomon, because they followed the way of David and Solomon.
18 Rehoboam married Mahalath. She was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth, and her mother was Abihail, the daughter of Eliab and granddaughter of Jesse.
Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David's son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, son of Jesse.
19 Rehoboam and Mahalath had three sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
She was the mother his sons Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.
20 Later Rehoboam married Maacah, the daughter of Absalom, and they had four sons: Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
After her he married Maacah Absalom's daughter, and she was the mother of his sons Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
21 Rehoboam loved Maacah more than he loved any other of his wives and slave wives. Altogether he had 18 wives and 60 slave wives, and 28 sons and 60 daughters.
Rehoboam loved Maacah Absalom's daughter more than all his other wives and concubines. He had a total of eighteen wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
22 Rehoboam appointed his son Abijah to be the leader of his [older and younger] brothers, because he wanted to appoint Abijah to be the next king.
Rehoboam made Abijah son of Maacah crown prince among his brothers, planning to make him king.
23 He very wisely sent some of his other sons to other cities in the areas of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the other cities that had walls around them. He gave them plenty of supplies and many wives.
Rehoboam was also wise to place some of his sons throughout the land of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified towns. He gave them plenty of supplies and sought many wives for them. He worked to arrange many wives for them.
