2Chr 11
1
And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin,
a hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, that were warriors, to fight against
Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.
2
But the word of YHWH came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
3
Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and
Benjamin, saying,
4
Thus says YHWH, You shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every
man to his house; for this thing is of me. So they hearkened to the words of YHWH,
and returned from going against Jeroboam.
5
And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.
6
He built Beth-lehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,
7
And Beth-zur, and Soco, and Adullam,
8
and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,
9
and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,
10
and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified
cities.
11
And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of victuals,
and oil and wine.
12
And in every city [he put] shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong. And
Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.
13
And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all
their border.
14
For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem:
for Jeroboam and his sons cast them off, that they should not execute the priest`s
office to YHWH;
15
and he appointed him priests for the high places, and for the he-goats, and for the
calves which he had made.
16
And after them, out of all the tribes of Israel, such as set their hearts to seek
YHWH, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to YHWH, the God of their
fathers.
17
So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong,
three years; for they walked three years in the way of David and Solomon.
18
And Rehoboam took him a wife, Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David,
[and of] Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;
19
and she bare him sons: Jeush, and Shemariah, and Zaham.
20
And after her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom; and she bare him Abijah, and
Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.
21
And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines:
(for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines, and engendered twenty and
eight sons and threescore daughters.)
22
And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah to be chief, [even] the prince among
his brethren; for [he was minded] to make him king.
23
And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah
and Benjamin, to every fortified city: and he gave them victuals in abundance. And
he sought [for them] many wives.