1 A nd Rehoboam came to Jerusalem; and he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men apt for war, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.

2 B ut the word of Jehovah came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

3 S peak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

4 T hus saith Jehovah: Go not up, nor fight with your brethren; return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. And they hearkened to the words of Jehovah, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

5 A nd Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.

6 A nd he built Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

7 a nd Beth-zur, and Soco, and Adullam,

8 a nd Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

9 a nd Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

10 a nd Zorah, and Ajalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities.

11 A nd he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of victuals, and of oil and wine;

12 a nd in every several city, targets and spears, and made them exceedingly strong. And Judah and Benjamin were his.

13 A nd the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their districts;

14 f or the Levites left their suburbs and their possessions, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from exercising the priesthood to Jehovah;

15 a nd he ordained for himself priests for the high places, and for the he-goats and for the calves that he had made.

16 — And after them, those out of all the tribes of Israel that set their heart to seek Jehovah the God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to Jehovah the God of their fathers.

17 A nd they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong three years; for during three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.

18 A nd Rehoboam took Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David as wife, Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse.

19 A nd she bore him children: Jeush, and Shemariah, and Zaham.

20 A nd after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

21 A nd Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines; for he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

22 A nd Rehoboam established Abijah the son of Maachah at the head, to be ruler among his brethren; for to make him king.

23 A nd he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to all the fortified cities; and he gave them food in abundance. And he desired a multitude of wives.