2 Chronicles 11

1 And Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, and got together the men of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand of his best fighting-men, to make war against Israel and get the kingdom back for 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 the Lord 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, the 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 The Lord has said, You are not to go to war against your brothers: let every man go back to his house, for this thing is my purpose. So they gave ear to the words of the Lord and were turned back from fighting against 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 Now Rehoboam kept in Jerusalem, building walled towns in Judah.

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

6 He was the builder of Beth-lehem and Etam and Tekoa

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

7 And Beth-zur and Soco and Adullam

and Sochot, and Odollam;

8 And Gath and Mareshah and Ziph

also and Jeth, and Maresa, and Ziph;

9 And Adoraim and Lachish and Azekah

but also Huram, and Lachis, and Azecha;

10 And Zorah and Aijalon and Hebron, walled towns in Judah and Benjamin.

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

11 And he made the walled towns strong, and he put captains in them and 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 And in every town he put stores of body-covers and spears, and made them very strong. And Judah and Benjamin were his.

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 And the priests and Levites who were in all Israel came together to him from every part of their country.

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

14 For the Levites gave up their living-places and their property, and came to Judah and Jerusalem; for Jeroboam and his sons had sent them away, not letting them be priests to the Lord;

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 And he himself made priests for the high places, and for the images of he-goats and oxen which he had made.

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

16 And after them, from all the tribes of Israel, all those whose hearts were fixed and true to the Lord, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to make offerings to the Lord, 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 went on increasing the power of the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, strong for three years; and for three years they went in the ways 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 And Rehoboam took as his wife Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, the son of David and of Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, the son of Jesse;

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

19 And she had sons by him, Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

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

20 And after her he took Maacah, the daughter of Absalom; and she had Abijah and Attai and Ziza and Shelomith by him.

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

21 Maacah, the daughter of Absalom, was dearer to Rehoboam than all his wives and his servant-wives: (for he had eighteen wives and sixty servant-wives, and was 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 made Abijah, the son of Maacah, chief and ruler among his brothers, for it was his purpose to make 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 And in his wisdom he had his sons stationed in every walled town through all the lands of Judah and Benjamin; and he gave them a great store of food, and took 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.