2 Chronicles 11

2 Chronicles 11:1 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he collected the house of Judah and Benjamin—one hundred eighty thousand tried young soldiers—to fight against Israel to restore Rehoboam’s reign.

2 Chronicles 11:2 But the word of Yahveh came to Shemaiah, the man of God:

2 Chronicles 11:3 “Say to Rehoboam, son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, and the rest of the people:

2 Chronicles 11:4: ‘This is what Yahveh says: You are not to march up and fight against your brothers. Each of you return to your house, for this incident has come from me.” So, they listened to what Yahveh said and turned back from going against Jeroboam.

2 Chronicles 11:5 Rehoboam stayed in Jerusalem, and he fortified cities in Judah.

2 Chronicles 11:6 He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

2 Chronicles 11:7 Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,

2 Chronicles 11:8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,

2 Chronicles 11:9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

2 Chronicles 11:10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.

2 Chronicles 11:11 He strengthened their fortifications and put leaders in them with supplies of food, oil, and wine.

2 Chronicles 11:12 He also put large shields and spears in every city to make them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his.

2 Chronicles 11:13 The priests and Levites from all their regions throughout Israel took their stand with Rehoboam,

2 Chronicles 11:14 for the Levites left their pasturelands and their possessions and went to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons refused to let them serve as priests of Yahveh.

2 Chronicles 11:15 Jeroboam appointed his priests for the high places, the goat-demons, and the golden calves he had made.

2 Chronicles 11:16 Those from every tribe of Israel who had determined in their hearts to seek Yahveh their God followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Yahveh, the God of their ancestors.

2 Chronicles 11:17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, because they walked in the ways of David and Solomon for three years.

2 Chronicles 11:18 Rehoboam married Mahalath, daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and Abihail, daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab.

2 Chronicles 11:19 She gave birth to[1] sons to him: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

2 Chronicles 11:20 After her, he married Maacah, daughter of Absalom. She gave birth to Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith to him.

2 Chronicles 11:21 Rehoboam cared for Maacah, daughter of Absalom, more than all his wives and concubines. He acquired eighteen wives and sixty concubines and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

2 Chronicles 11:22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah, son of Maacah, chief and leader among his brothers, intending to make him king.

2 Chronicles 11:23 Rehoboam also showed discernment by dispersing some of his sons to all the regions of Judah and Benjamin and all the fortified cities. He gave them plenty of provisions and sought many wives for them.

[1] יָלַד = give birth to, be born, father. 2 Chronicles 11:19, 20, 21; 13:21; 24:3.