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 Bethlehem, 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.
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