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.
And Rehoboam cometh in to Jerusalem, and assembleth the house of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight with Israel, to bring back the kingdom to Rehoboam.
2 But Yahweh spoke to the prophet Shemaiah and said this to him:
And a word of Jehovah is unto Shemaiah, a man of God, saying,
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:
'Speak unto Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, and unto all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,
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].
Thus said Jehovah, Ye do not go up nor fight with your brethren, turn back each to his house, for from Me hath this thing been;' and they hear the words of Jehovah, and turn back from going 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].
And Rehoboam dwelleth in Jerusalem, and buildeth cities for a bulwark in Judah,
6 In [the area that belonged to] the tribes of Judah and Benjamin they built walls around Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
yea, he buildeth Beth-Lehem and Etam, and Tekoa,
7 Beth-Zur, Soco, Adullam,
and Beth-Zur, and Shocho, and Adullam,
8 Gath, Mareshah,
and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,
9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,
10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron.
and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, that [are] in Judah and in Benjamin, cities of bulwarks.
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].
And he strengtheneth the bulwarks, and putteth in them leaders, and treasures of food, and 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.
and in every city and city targets and spears, and strengtheneth them very greatly; and he hath Judah and Benjamin.
13 The priests and other descendants of Levi throughout Israel supported Rehoboam.
And the priests, and the Levites, that [are] in all Israel, have stationed themselves by him, out of all their border,
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.
for the Levites have left their suburbs and their possession, and they come to Judah and to Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons have cast them off from acting as priests to Jehovah,
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.
and he establisheth to him priests for high places, and for goats, and for calves, that he 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].
and after them, out of all the tribes of Israel, those giving their heart to seek Jehovah, God of Israel, have come in to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Jehovah, God of their father.
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.
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.
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.
And Rehoboam taketh to him a wife, Mahalath, child of Jerimoth son of David, [and] Abigail daughter of Eliab, son of Jesse.
19 Rehoboam and Mahalath had three sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
And she beareth to him sons, Jeush, and Shamaria, and Zaham.
20 Later Rehoboam married Maacah, the daughter of Absalom, and they had four sons: Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
And after her he hath taken Maachah daughter of Absalom, and she beareth to him Abijah, and Attai, and 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.
And Rehoboam loveth Maachah daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines — for eighteen wives he hath taken, and sixty concubines — and he begetteth twenty and 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.
And Rehoboam appointeth for head Abijah son of Maachah, for leader among his brethren, for to cause him to reign.
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.
And he hath understanding, and spreadeth out of all his sons to all lands of Judah and Benjamin, to all cities of the bulwarks, and giveth to them provision in abundance; and he asketh a multitude of wives.
