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 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.

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

But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, the man of God, saying,

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

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

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.

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.

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

Now Rehoboam kept in Jerusalem, building walled towns in Judah.

6 He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

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

7 Beth Zur, Soko, Adullam,

And Beth-zur and Soco and Adullam

8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,

And Gath and Mareshah and Ziph

9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

And Adoraim and Lachish and Azekah

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

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

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

And he made the walled towns strong, and he put captains in them and stores of food, 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.

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

13 The priests and the Levites who were in all Israel went over to him from within their borders.

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

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 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;

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

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

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.

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.

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 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;

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

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

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

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

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).

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.)

22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah to be chief, a leader among his brothers; he had the thought of making him king.

Rehoboam made Abijah, the son of Maacah, chief and ruler among his brothers, for it was his purpose 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 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.