2 דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים 11

1 וַיָּבֹ֣א רְחַבְעָם֮ יְרוּשָׁלִַם֒ וַיַּקְהֵל֩ אֶת־בֵּ֨ית יְהוּדָ֜ה וּבִנְיָמִ֗ן מֵאָ֨ה וּשְׁמוֹנִ֥ים אֶ֛לֶף בָּח֖וּר עֹשֵׂ֣ה מִלְחָמָ֑ה לְהִלָּחֵם֙ עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְהָשִׁ֥יב אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה לִרְחַבְעָֽם׃ פ

And when Rehoboam had entered Jerusalem, he called together the house of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, warriors, —to fight against Israel, to bring back the kingdom to Rehoboam.

2 וַיְהִי֙ דְּבַר־יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־שְׁמַֽעְיָ֥הוּ אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים לֵאמֹֽר׃

Then came the word of Yahweh, unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying:

3 אֱמֹ֕ר אֶל־רְחַבְעָ֥ם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה וְאֶל֙ כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בִּיהוּדָ֥ה וּבִנְיָמִ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃

Speak unto Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, —and unto all Israel in Judah and in Benjamin, saying:

4 כֹּ֣ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֡ה לֹא־תַעֲלוּ֩ וְלֹא־תִלָּ֨חֲמ֜וּ עִם־אֲחֵיכֶ֗ם שׁ֚וּבוּ אִ֣ישׁ לְבֵית֔וֹ כִּ֧י מֵֽאִתִּ֛י נִהְיָ֖ה הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וַֽיִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ מִלֶּ֥כֶת אֶל־יָרָבְעָֽם׃ פ

Thus, saith Yahweh, Ye shall not go up neither shall ye fight against your brethren, return every man to his own house, for, from me, hath this thing been brought about. So they hearkened unto the words of Yahweh, and turned back from going against Jeroboam.

5 וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב רְחַבְעָ֖ם בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וַיִּ֧בֶן עָרִ֛ים לְמָצ֖וֹר בִּיהוּדָֽה׃

And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, —and built cities for defence, in Judah;

6 וַיִּ֧בֶן אֶת־בֵּֽית־ לֶ֛חֶם וְאֶת־עֵיטָ֖ם וְאֶת־תְּקֽוֹעַ׃

yea he built Bethlehem and Etam, and Tekoa;

7 וְאֶת־בֵּֽית־צ֥וּר וְאֶת־שׂוֹכ֖וֹ וְאֶת־עֲדֻלָּֽם׃

and Beth-zur and Soco, and Adullam;

8 וְאֶת־גַּ֥ת וְאֶת־מָרֵשָׁ֖ה וְאֶת־זִֽיף׃

and Gath and Mareshah, and Ziph;

9 וְאֶת־אֲדוֹרַ֥יִם וְאֶת־לָכִ֖ישׁ וְאֶת־עֲזֵקָֽה׃

and Adoraim and Lachish, and Azekah;

10 וְאֶת־צָרְעָה֙ וְאֶת־אַיָּל֔וֹן וְאֶת־חֶבְר֔וֹן אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּיהוּדָ֖ה וּבְבִנְיָמִ֑ן עָרֵ֖י מְצֻרֽוֹת׃

and Zorah, and Aijalon and Hebron, which are in Judah and Benjamin, —as fortified cities.

11 וַיְחַזֵּ֖ק אֶת־הַמְּצֻר֑וֹת וַיִּתֵּ֤ן בָּהֶם֙ נְגִידִ֔ים וְאֹצְר֥וֹת מַאֲכָ֖ל וְשֶׁ֥מֶן וָיָֽיִן׃

And he strengthened the fortified places, —and put therein captains, and stores of food, and oil and wine;

12 וּבְכָל־עִ֤יר וָעִיר֙ צִנּ֣וֹת וּרְמָחִ֔ים וַֽיְחַזְּקֵ֖ם לְהַרְבֵּ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד וַיְהִי־ל֖וֹ יְהוּדָ֥ה וּבִנְיָמִֽן׃ ס

and, in every several city, shields and spears, and made them exceedingly strong, —thus Judah and Benjamin remained his.

13 וְהַכֹּהֲנִים֙ וְהַלְוִיִּ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הִֽתְיַצְּב֥וּ עָלָ֖יו מִכָּל־גְּבוּלָֽם׃

And, the priests and Levites that were in all Israel, took their stand with him, out of all their boundaries.

14 כִּֽי־עָזְב֣וּ הַלְוִיִּ֗ם אֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶם֙ וַאֲחֻזָּתָ֔ם וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ לִיהוּדָ֖ה וְלִֽירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם כִּֽי־הִזְנִיחָ֤ם יָֽרָבְעָם֙ וּבָנָ֔יו מִכַּהֵ֖ן לַיהוָֽה׃

For the Levites left their pasture lands, and their possessions, and came to Judah, and to Jerusalem, —for Jeroboam and his sons cast them off, from ministering as priests unto Yahweh;

15 וַיַּֽעֲמֶד־לוֹ֙ כֹּֽהֲנִ֔ים לַבָּמ֖וֹת וְלַשְּׂעִירִ֑ים וְלָעֲגָלִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה׃

and appointed for himself priests for the high places, and for the demons—and for the calves which he had made.

16 וְאַחֲרֵיהֶ֗ם מִכֹּל֙ שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַנֹּֽתְנִים֙ אֶת־לְבָבָ֔ם לְבַקֵּ֕שׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בָּ֚אוּ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם לִזְבּ֕וֹחַ לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃

And, after them—out of all the tribes of Israel, such as were setting their heart to seek Yahweh God of Israel, came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto Yahweh, God of their fathers.

17 וַֽיְחַזְּקוּ֙ אֶת־מַלְכ֣וּת יְהוּדָ֔ה וַֽיְאַמְּצ֛וּ אֶת־רְחַבְעָ֥ם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לְשָׁנִ֣ים שָׁל֑וֹשׁ כִּ֣י הָֽלְכ֗וּ בְּדֶ֧רֶךְ דָּוִ֛יד וּשְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לְשָׁנִ֥ים שָׁלֽוֹשׁ׃

So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and emboldened Rehoboam son of Solomon, for three years, —for they walked in the way of David and Solomon, for three years.

18 וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ל֤וֹ רְחַבְעָם֙ אִשָּׁ֔ה אֶת־מָ֣חֲלַ֔ת בן ־יְרִימ֖וֹת בֶּן־דָּוִ֑יד אֲבִיהַ֕יִל בַּת־אֱלִיאָ֖ב בֶּן־יִשָֽׁי׃

And Rehoboam took him to wife, Mahalath, daughter of Jerimoth, son of David, —and Abihail, daughter of Eliab, son of Jesse;

19 וַתֵּ֥לֶד ל֖וֹ בָּנִ֑ים אֶת־יְע֥וּשׁ וְאֶת־שְׁמַרְיָ֖ה וְאֶת־זָֽהַם׃

and she bare him sons, —Jeush and Shamariah and Zaham.

20 וְאַחֲרֶ֣יהָ לָקַ֔ח אֶֽת־מַעֲכָ֖ה בַּת־אַבְשָׁל֑וֹם וַתֵּ֣לֶד ל֗וֹ אֶת־אֲבִיָּה֙ וְאֶת־עַתַּ֔י וְאֶת־זִיזָ֖א וְאֶת־שְׁלֹמִֽית׃

And, after her, he took Maacah, daughter of Absolom, —and she bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

21 וַיֶּאֱהַ֨ב רְחַבְעָ֜ם אֶת־מַעֲכָ֣ה בַת־אַבְשָׁל֗וֹם מִכָּל־נָשָׁיו֙ וּפִ֣ילַגְשָׁ֔יו כִּ֠י נָשִׁ֤ים שְׁמוֹנֶֽה־עֶשְׂרֵה֙ נָשָׂ֔א וּפִֽילַגְשִׁ֖ים שִׁשִּׁ֑ים וַיּ֗וֹלֶד עֶשְׂרִ֧ים וּשְׁמוֹנָ֛ה בָּנִ֖ים וְשִׁשִּׁ֥ים בָּנֽוֹת׃

And Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absolom, above all his wives and his concubines, for, eighteen wives, took he, and sixty concubines, —and begat twenty-eight sons, and sixty daughters.

22 וַיַּֽעֲמֵ֨ד לָרֹ֧אשׁ רְחַבְעָ֛ם אֶת־אֲבִיָּ֥ה בֶֽן־מַעֲכָ֖ה לְנָגִ֣יד בְּאֶחָ֑יו כִּ֖י לְהַמְלִיכֽוֹ׃

So then Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as head, to be chief ruler among his brethren, —yea that he might make him king.

23 וַיָּבֶן֩ וַיִּפְרֹ֨ץ מִכָּל־בָּנָ֜יו לְֽכָל־אַרְצ֧וֹת יְהוּדָ֣ה וּבִנְיָמִ֗ן לְכֹל֙ עָרֵ֣י הַמְּצֻר֔וֹת וַיִּתֵּ֥ן לָהֶ֛ם הַמָּז֖וֹן לָרֹ֑ב וַיִּשְׁאַ֖ל הֲמ֥וֹן נָשִֽׁים׃

So he took heed, and dispersed all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, unto all the fortified cities, and gave them food in abundance, —and asked a multitude of wives.