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.

Forsothe Roboam cam in to Jerusalem, and clepide togidere al the hows of Juda and of Beniamyn, `til to nyne scoore thousynde of chosen men and werriouris, for to fiyte ayens Israel, and for to turne his rewme to hym.

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

And the word of the Lord was maad to Semeye, the man of God,

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

and seide, Speke thou to Roboam, the sone of Salomon, kyng of Juda, and to al Israel, which is in Juda and Beniamyn; The Lord seith these thingis,

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.

Ye schulen not stie, nethir ye schulen fiyte ayens youre britheren; ech man turne ayen in to his hows, for this thing is doon bi my wille. And whanne thei hadden herd the word of the Lord, thei turneden ayen, and yeden not ayens kyng Jeroboam.

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

Forsothe Roboam dwellide in Jerusalem, and he bildide wallid citees in Juda;

6 He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

and bildide Bethleem, and Ethan, and Thecue, and Bethsur;

7 Beth Zur, Soko, Adullam,

and Sochot, and Odollam;

8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,

also and Jeth, and Maresa, and Ziph;

9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

but also Huram, and Lachis, and Azecha;

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

and Saraa, and Hailon, and Ebron, that weren in Juda and Beniamyn, ful strong citees.

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

And whanne he hadde closid tho with wallis, he settide `in tho citees princes, and bernes of metis, that is, of oile, and of wyn.

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

But also in ech citee he made placis of armuris of scheeldis, and speris, and he made tho strong with most diligence; and he regnyde on Juda and Beniamyn.

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

Sotheli the preestis and dekenes, that weren in al Israel, camen to hym fro alle her seetis,

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.

and forsoken her subarbis and possessiouns, and thei passiden to Juda and to Jerusalem; for Jeroboam and hise aftir comeris hadden cast hem a wey, that thei schulden not be set in preesthod of the Lord;

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

which Jeroboam made to hym preestis of hiye places, and of feendis, and of caluys, which he hadde maad.

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.

But also of alle the linagis of Israel, whiche euer yauen her herte to seke the Lord God of Israel, thei camen to Jerusalem for to offre her sacrifices bifor the Lord God of her fadris.

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 thei strengthiden the rewme of Juda, and strengthiden Roboam, the sone of Salomon, bi thre yeer; for thei yeden in the weies of Dauid, and of Salomon, oneli bi thre yeer.

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.

Forsothe Roboam weddide a wijf Malaoth, the douytir of Jerymuth, sone of Dauid, and Abiail, the douytir of Heliab, sone of Ysaye;

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

and sche childide to hym sones, Yeus, and Somorie, and Zerei.

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

Also after this wijf he took Maacha, the douyter of Abissalon, and sche childide to hym Abia, and Thai, and Ziza, and Salomyth.

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).

Forsothe Roboam louyde Maacha, the douytir of Abissalon, aboue alle hise wyues and secundarie wyues. Forsothe he hadde weddid eiytene wyues, sotheli sixti secundarie wyues; and he gendride eiyte and twenti sones, and sixti douytris.

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

Sotheli he ordeynede Abia, the sone of Maacha, in the heed, duyk ouer alle hise britheren; for he thouyte to make Abia kyng,

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.

for he was wisere and myytiere ouer alle hise sones, and in alle the coostis of Juda and of Beniamyn, and in alle wallid citees; and he yaf to hem ful many metis, and he had many wyues.