[1] When Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah
and Benjamin, one hundred eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to
fight against Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam. [2] But the
word of Yahweh 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 Yahweh, You shall not go up, nor fight
against your brothers: return every man to his house; for this thing is of
me. So they listened to the words of Yahweh, and returned from going
against Jeroboam. [5] Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and built cities for
defense in Judah. [6] He built Beth-lehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, [7]
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] He
fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of
victuals, and oil and wine. [12] In every city [he put] shields and spears,
and made them exceeding strong. Judah and Benjamin belonged to him. [13]
The priests and the Levites who 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 Yahweh; [15]
and he appointed him priests for the high places, and for the male goats,
and for the calves which he had made. [16] After them, out of all the
tribes of Israel, such as set their hearts to seek Yahweh, the God of
Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Yahweh, 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] 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 bore him sons: Jeush, and Shemariah, and Zaham. [20]
After her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah,
and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith. [21] Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter
of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen
wives, and sixty concubines, and became the father of twenty-eight sons and
sixty daughters.) [22] Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah to be
chief, [even] the prince among his brothers; for [he was minded] to make
him king. [23] 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. He sought [for them] many wives.
