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 Roboam came to Jerusalem; and he assembled Juda and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand young men fit for war, and he waged war with Israel to recover the kingdom to Roboam.

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

And the Word of the Lord came to Samaias the man of God, saying,

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

Speak to Roboam the [son] of Solomon, and to all Juda 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 saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, and ye shall not war against your brethren: return every one to his home; for this thing is of me. And they hearkened to the word of the Lord, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

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

And Roboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and he built walled cities in Judea.

6 He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

And he built Bethleem, and Aetan and Thecoe,

7 Beth Zur, Soko, Adullam,

and Baethsura, and Sochoth, and Odollam,

8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,

and Geth, and Marisa, and Ziph,

9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

and Adorai, and Lachis, and Azeca,

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

and Saraa, and Aelom, and Chebron, which belong to Juda and Benjamin, walled cities.

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

And he fortified them with walls, and placed in them captains, and stores of provisions, 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.

shields and spears in every several city, and he fortified them very strongly, and he had on his side Juda 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 who were in all Israel were gathered to him out of all the coasts.

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 the tents of their possession, and went to Juda to Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had ejected them so that they should not minister to the Lord.

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

And he made for himself priests of the high places, and for the idols, and for the vanities, and for the calves which Jeroboam 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 he cast out from the tribes of Israel those who set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel: and they came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the Lord 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 Juda; and [Juda] strengthened Roboam the [son] of Solomon for three years, for he walked three years in the ways of David and Solomon.

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 Roboam took to himself for a wife, Moolath daughter of Jerimuth the son of David, and Abigaia daughter of Heliab the son of Jessae.

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

And she bore him sons; Jeus, and Samoria, and Zaam.

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

And afterwards he took to himself Maacha the daughter of Abessalom; and she bore him Abia, and Jetthi, and Zeza, and Salemoth.

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 Roboam loved Maacha the daughter of Abessalom more than all his wives and all his concubines: for he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines; and he begot twenty-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 he made Abia the son of Maacha chief, [even] a leader among his brethren, for he intended 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 was exalted beyond all his [other] sons in all the coasts of Juda and Benjamin, and in the strong cities; and he gave them provisions in great abundance: and he desired many wives.