Old Testament · 2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11

Shemaiah’s Prophecy

(1 Kings 12:20–24)

1And Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, and assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, makers of war, to fight against Israel, to bring back the kingdom to Rehoboam. 2And the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man^a of God, saying: 3"Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying: 4Thus says the LORD: You shall not go up, and you shall not fight against your brothers; return each man to his house, for from me this thing has come to be." And they listened to the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

Rehoboam Fortifies Judah

5And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah. 6And he built Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, 7and Beth-zur, and Soco, and Adullam, 8and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph, 9and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, 10and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities. 11And he strengthened the fortresses, and put in them commanders, and stores of food, and oil and wine. 12And in every city he put shields and spears, and made them exceedingly strong. And Judah and Benjamin were his.

Jeroboam Forsakes the Priests and Levites

13And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel stationed themselves to him out of all their border. 14For the Levites left their pasture lands and their possession, and went to Judah and to Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from serving as priests to the LORD. 15And he appointed for himself priests for the high places, and for the goat-demons, and for the calves that he had made.

16And after them, out of all the tribes of Israel, those who set their heart to seek the LORD the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD the God of their fathers. 17And they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made strong Rehoboam the son of Solomon, for three years; for they walked in the way of David and Solomon three years.

Rehoboam’s Family

18And Rehoboam took for himself a wife^b, Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse; 19and she bore to him sons: Jeush, and Shemariah, and Zaham.

20And after her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom; and she bore to him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith. 21And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines — for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

22And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah as head, as leader among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. 23And he acted with understanding, and dispersed of all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city; and he gave to them food in abundance. And he sought a multitude of wives.