2 Chronicles 11

1 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were soldiers, to fight against Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.

And when Rehobo'am was come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, warriors, to fight against Israel, to bring back the kingdom again to Rehobo'am.

2 But the word of Yahweh came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

But the word of the Lord came unto Shema'yahu the man of God, saying,

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

Say unto Rehobo'am the son of Solomon, the king of Judah and Benjamin, saying,

4 'Yahweh says this, “You must not attack or make war against your brothers. Everyone must return to his own house, for I have caused this to happen.”'” So they obeyed the words of Yahweh and turned back from attacking Jeroboam.

Thus hath said the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight with your brethren: return every man to his house; for from me hath this thing been brought about. And they hearkened to the words of the Lord, and returned from going against Jerobo'am.

5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built cities in Judah for defense.

And Rehobo'am dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities as fortresses in Judah.

6 He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

He built, namely, Beth-lechem, and 'Etam, and Thekoa'.

7 Beth Zur, Soko, Adullam,

And Beth-zur, and Socho, and 'Adullam,

8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,

And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

And Adorayim and Lachish, and 'Azekah,

10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These are fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.

And Zor'ah, and Ayalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities.

11 He fortified the fortresses and put commanders in them, with stores of food, oil, and wine.

And he strengthened the strong-holds, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, and oil and wine;

12 He put shields and spears in all the cities and made them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.

And in each and every city [he placed] shields and spears, and made them exceedingly strong: and thus remained with him Judah and Benjamin.

13 The priests and the Levites who were in all Israel went over to him from within their borders.

And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel presented themselves to him out of all their territory.

14 For the Levites left their pasturelands and property in order to come to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had driven them away, so that they could no longer perform priestly duties for Yahweh.

For the Levites left their open districts and their possession, and went to Judah and Jerusalem; because Jerobo'am and his sons cast them off from executing the priest's office unto the Lord,

15 Jeroboam appointed for himself priests for the high places and the goat and calf idols he had made.

And [because] he ordained for himself priests for the high-places, and for the evil spirits, and for the calves which he had made.

16 People from all the tribes of Israel came after them, those who set their hearts to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel; they came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

And after them [came] out of all the tribes of Israel such as directed their heart to seek the Lord the God of Israel: these came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the Lord, the God of their fathers.

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

And they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and brought power to Rehobo'am, the son of Solomon, during three years; for they walked in the way of David and Solomon during three years.

18 Rehoboam took a wife for himself: Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, David's son, and of Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, Jesse's son.

And Rehobo'am took himself as wife Machalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, [and] Abichayil the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;

19 She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

And she bore to him sons: Je'ush, and Shamaryah, and Zaham.

20 After Mahalath, Rehoboam took Maacah, Absalom's daughter; she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.

And after her did he take Ma'achah the daughter of Abshalom; and she bore to him Abiyah, and 'Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

21 Rehoboam loved Maacah, Absalom's daughter, more than all his other wives and his concubines (he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and became the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters).

And Rehobo'am loved Ma'achah the daughter of Abshalom more than all his wives and his concubines; for he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines; and he begat twenty and eight sons, and sixty daughters.

22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah to be chief, a leader among his brothers; he had the thought of making him king.

And Rehobo'am appointed Abiyah the son of Ma'achah to be the chief, to be ruler among his brethren; because [he desired] to make him king.

23 Rehoboam ruled wisely; he scattered all his sons throughout all the land of Judah and Benjamin to every fortified city. He also gave them food in abundance and looked for many wives for them.

And he dealt understandingly, and dispersed all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto all the fortified cities; and he gave them food in abundance and he required [for them] a multitude of wives.