11:1 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered the house of Judah and Benjamin–a hundred and eighty thousand fighting men–to make war against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam.
11:2 But this word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God:
11:3 “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin,
11:4 ‘This is what the LORD says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.’” So they obeyed the words of the LORD and turned back from marching against Jeroboam.
11:5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built up towns for defense in Judah:
11:6 Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
11:7 Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam,
11:8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
11:9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
11:10 Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron. These were fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.
11:11 He strengthened their defenses and put commanders in them, with supplies of food, olive oil and wine.
11:12 He put shields and spears in all the cities, and made them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his.
11:13 The priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel sided with him.
11:14 The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property, and came to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD.
11:15 And he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat and calf idols he had made.
11:16 Those from every tribe of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the LORD, the God of their fathers.
11:17 They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon three years, walking in the ways of David and Solomon during this time.
11:18 Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab.
11:19 She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham.
11:20 Then he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith.
11:21 Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
11:22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah to be the chief prince among his brothers, in order to make him king.
11:23 He acted wisely, dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and took many wives for them.
11:1 And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he gathered the house of Judah and Benjamin, one hundred eighty thousand choice warriors, to wage war with Israel in order to return the kingdom to Rehoboam.
11:2 But the word of Jehovah came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
11:3 Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, the king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,
11:4 Thus says Jehovah, You shall not go up and wage war with your brothers. Every man return to his house; for this matter is of Me. So they listened to the words of Jehovah and returned from going against Jeroboam.
11:5 And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem and built cities for defense in Judah.
11:6 He built Bethlehem and Etam and Tekoa
11:7 And Beth-zur and Soco and Adullam
11:8 And Gath and Mareshah and Ziph
11:9 And Adoraim and Lachish and Azekah
11:10 And Zorah and Aijalon and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities.
11:11 And he strengthened the fortresses and put commanders in them, as well as stores of food and oil and wine,
11:12 And in every city, shields and spears; and he made them exceedingly strong. And Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.
11:13 And the priests and the Levites who had been throughout all Israel presented themselves to him out of all their territory;
11:14 For the Levites abandoned their pasture lands and their property and went to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons cast them out so that they could not function as priests to Jehovah.
11:15 And he appointed priests for himself for the high places and for the goats and the calves that he had made.
11:16 And those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts to seek Jehovah the God of Israel came after them to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Jehovah, the God of their fathers.
11:17 And they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
11:18 And Rehoboam took to himself for his wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse.
11:19 And she bore him sons: Jeush and Shemariah and Zaham.
11:20 And after her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah and Attai and Ziza and Shelomith.
11:21 And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines. (For he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines and begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.)
11:22 And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah to be chief prince, the leader among his brothers; for he intended to make him king.
11:23 And he acted wisely and dispersed all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to all the fortified cities; and he gave them food in abundance and sought many wives for them.