< 2 Chronicles 11 >

1 When Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.
וַיָּבֹ֣א רְחַבְעָם֮ יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם֒ וַיַּקְהֵל֩ אֶת־בֵּ֨ית יְהוּדָ֜ה וּבִנְיָמִ֗ן מֵאָ֨ה וּשְׁמֹונִ֥ים אֶ֛לֶף בָּח֖וּר עֹשֵׂ֣ה מִלְחָמָ֑ה לְהִלָּחֵם֙ עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְהָשִׁ֥יב אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה לִרְחַבְעָֽם׃ פ
2 But the LORD’s word came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
וַיְהִי֙ דְּבַר־יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־שְׁמַֽעְיָ֥הוּ אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים לֵאמֹֽר׃
3 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,
אֱמֹ֕ר אֶל־רְחַבְעָ֥ם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה וְאֶל֙ כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בִּיהוּדָ֥ה וּבִנְיָמִ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃
4 ‘The LORD says, “You shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers! Every man return to his house; for this thing is of me.”’” So they listened to the LORD’s words, and returned from going against Jeroboam.
כֹּ֣ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֡ה לֹא־תַעֲלוּ֩ וְלֹא־תִלָּ֨חֲמ֜וּ עִם־אֲחֵיכֶ֗ם שׁ֚וּבוּ אִ֣ישׁ לְבֵיתֹ֔ו כִּ֧י מֵֽאִתִּ֛י נִהְיָ֖ה הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וַֽיִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ מִלֶּ֥כֶת אֶל־יָרָבְעָֽם׃ פ
5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.
וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב רְחַבְעָ֖ם בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וַיִּ֧בֶן עָרִ֛ים לְמָצֹ֖ור בִּיהוּדָֽה׃
6 He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
וַיִּ֧בֶן אֶת־בֵּֽית־לֶ֛חֶם וְאֶת־עֵיטָ֖ם וְאֶת־תְּקֹֽועַ׃
7 Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam,
וְאֶת־בֵּֽית־צ֥וּר וְאֶת־שֹׂוכֹ֖ו וְאֶת־עֲדֻלָּֽם׃
8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
וְאֶת־גַּ֥ת וְאֶת־מָרֵשָׁ֖ה וְאֶת־זִֽיף׃
9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
וְאֶת־אֲדֹורַ֥יִם וְאֶת־לָכִ֖ישׁ וְאֶת־עֲזֵקָֽה׃
10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin.
וְאֶת־צָרְעָה֙ וְאֶת־אַיָּלֹ֔ון וְאֶת־חֶבְרֹ֔ון אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּיהוּדָ֖ה וּבְבִנְיָמִ֑ן עָרֵ֖י מְצֻרֹֽות׃
11 He fortified the strongholds and put captains in them with stores of food, oil and wine.
וַיְחַזֵּ֖ק אֶת־הַמְּצֻרֹ֑ות וַיִּתֵּ֤ן בָּהֶם֙ נְגִידִ֔ים וְאֹצְרֹ֥ות מַאֲכָ֖ל וְשֶׁ֥מֶן וָיָֽיִן׃
12 He put shields and spears in every city, and made them exceedingly strong. Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.
וּבְכָל־עִ֤יר וָעִיר֙ צִנֹּ֣ות וּרְמָחִ֔ים וַֽיְחַזְּקֵ֖ם לְהַרְבֵּ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד וַיְהִי־לֹ֖ו יְהוּדָ֥ה וּבִנְיָמִֽן׃ ס
13 The priests and the Levites who were in all Israel stood with him out of all their territory.
וְהַכֹּהֲנִים֙ וְהַלְוִיִּ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הִֽתְיַצְּב֥וּ עָלָ֖יו מִכָּל־גְּבוּלָֽם׃
14 For the Levites left their pasture lands and their possessions, and came to Judah and Jerusalem; for Jeroboam and his sons cast them off, that they should not execute the priest’s office to the LORD.
כִּֽי־עָזְב֣וּ הַלְוִיִּ֗ם אֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶם֙ וַאֲחֻזָּתָ֔ם וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ לִיהוּדָ֖ה וְלִֽירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם כִּֽי־הִזְנִיחָ֤ם יָֽרָבְעָם֙ וּבָנָ֔יו מִכַּהֵ֖ן לַיהוָֽה׃
15 He himself appointed priests for the high places, for the male goat and calf idols which he had made.
וַיַּֽעֲמֶד־לֹו֙ כֹּֽהֲנִ֔ים לַבָּמֹ֖ות וְלַשְּׂעִירִ֑ים וְלָעֲגָלִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה׃
16 After them, out of all the tribes of Israel, those who set their hearts to seek the LORD, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers.
וְאַחֲרֵיהֶ֗ם מִכֹּל֙ שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַנֹּֽתְנִים֙ אֶת־לְבָבָ֔ם לְבַקֵּ֕שׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בָּ֚אוּ יְר֣וּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם לִזְבֹּ֕וחַ לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבֹותֵיהֶֽם׃
17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years, for they walked three years in the way of David and Solomon.
וַֽיְחַזְּקוּ֙ אֶת־מַלְכ֣וּת יְהוּדָ֔ה וַֽיְאַמְּצ֛וּ אֶת־רְחַבְעָ֥ם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לְשָׁנִ֣ים שָׁלֹ֑ושׁ כִּ֣י הָֽלְכ֗וּ בְּדֶ֧רֶךְ דָּוִ֛יד וּשְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לְשָׁנִ֥ים שָׁלֹֽושׁ׃
18 Rehoboam took a wife for himself, Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse.
וַיִּֽקַּֽח־לֹ֤ו רְחַבְעָם֙ אִשָּׁ֔ה אֶת־מָ֣חֲלַ֔ת בֶּן (בַּת)־יְרִימֹ֖ות בֶּן־דָּוִ֑יד אֲבִיהַ֕יִל בַּת־אֱלִיאָ֖ב בֶּן־יִשָֽׁי׃
19 She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
וַתֵּ֥לֶד לֹ֖ו בָּנִ֑ים אֶת־יְע֥וּשׁ וְאֶת־שְׁמַרְיָ֖ה וְאֶת־זָֽהַם׃
20 After her, he took Maacah the granddaughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
וְאַחֲרֶ֣יהָ לָקַ֔ח אֶֽת־מַעֲכָ֖ה בַּת־אַבְשָׁלֹ֑ום וַתֵּ֣לֶד לֹ֗ו אֶת־אֲבִיָּה֙ וְאֶת־עַתַּ֔י וְאֶת־זִיזָ֖א וְאֶת־שְׁלֹמִֽית׃
21 Rehoboam loved Maacah the granddaughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines; for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and became the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
וַיֶּאֱהַ֨ב רְחַבְעָ֜ם אֶת־מַעֲכָ֣ה בַת־אַבְשָׁלֹ֗ום מִכָּל־נָשָׁיו֙ וּפִ֣ילַגְשָׁ֔יו כִּ֠י נָשִׁ֤ים שְׁמֹונֶֽה־עֶשְׂרֵה֙ נָשָׂ֔א וּפִֽילַגְשִׁ֖ים שִׁשִּׁ֑ים וַיֹּ֗ולֶד עֶשְׂרִ֧ים וּשְׁמֹונָ֛ה בָּנִ֖ים וְשִׁשִּׁ֥ים בָּנֹֽות׃
22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah to be chief, the prince amongst his brothers, for he intended to make him king.
וַיַּֽעֲמֵ֨ד לָרֹ֧אשׁ רְחַבְעָ֛ם אֶת־אֲבִיָּ֥ה בֶֽן־מַעֲכָ֖ה לְנָגִ֣יד בְּאֶחָ֑יו כִּ֖י לְהַמְלִיכֹֽו׃
23 He dealt wisely, and dispersed some of his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city. He gave them food in abundance; and he sought many wives for them.
וַיָּבֶן֩ וַיִּפְרֹ֨ץ מִכָּל־בָּנָ֜יו לְֽכָל־אַרְצֹ֧ות יְהוּדָ֣ה וּבִנְיָמִ֗ן לְכֹל֙ עָרֵ֣י הַמְּצֻרֹ֔ות וַיִּתֵּ֥ן לָהֶ֛ם הַמָּזֹ֖ון לָרֹ֑ב וַיִּשְׁאַ֖ל הֲמֹ֥ון נָשִֽׁים׃

< 2 Chronicles 11 >