Keraia
History

2 Chronicles 11

Shemaiah’s Prophecy

1When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the house of Judah and Benjamin—180,000 chosen warriors—to fight against Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.

1And Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, and he assembled from the house of Judah and Benjamin a hundred and eighty thousand chosen to make war, to fight against Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.

2But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God:

2And the word of YHWH came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

3“Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin

3“Speak to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

4that this is what the LORD says: ‘You are not to go up and fight against your brothers. Each of you must return home, for this is My doing.’”

So they listened to the words of the LORD and turned back from going against Jeroboam.

4thus says YHWH: ‘You shall not go up and you shall not fight against your brothers; let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.’” And they heard the words of YHWH and turned back from going against Jeroboam.

Rehoboam Fortifies Judah

5Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and he built up cities for defense in Judah.

5And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and he built cities for fortification in Judah.

6He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

6And he built Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

7Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,

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

8Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,

8and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

9Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

9and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

10Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.

10and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, the fortified cities.

11He strengthened their fortifications and put officers in them, with supplies of food, oil, and wine.

11And he strengthened the fortifications and put in them captains, and stores of food, and oil, and wine,

12He also put shields and spears in all the cities and strengthened them greatly. So Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.

12and in each city by city, shields and spears, and he strengthened them exceedingly greatly, and Judah and Benjamin were unto him.

Jeroboam Forsakes the Priests and Levites

13Moreover, the priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel stood with Rehoboam.

13And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him from all their territories.

14For the Levites left their pasturelands and their possessions and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD.

14For the Levites left their pasturelands and their possession, and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to YHWH.

15And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made.

15And he appointed for himself priests for the high places, and for the goat demons, and for the calf idols that he had made.

16Those from every tribe of Israel who had set their hearts to seek the LORD their God followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers.

16And after them, those from all the tribes of Israel who had set their heart to seek YHWH, God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to YHWH, God of their fathers.

17So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, because they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon.

17And they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and they made strong Rehoboam son of Solomon three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon three years.

Rehoboam’s Family

18And Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab.

18And Rehoboam took for himself as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth son of David and of Abihail daughter of Eliab son of Jesse.

19She bore sons to him: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

19And she bore to him sons: Jeush, and Shemariah, and Zaham.

20After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.

20And after her he took Maacah the granddaughter of Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

21Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

21And Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines. For he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he begat twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

22Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, intending to make him king.

22And Rehoboam appointed as chief Abijah son of Maacah for leader among his brothers, in order to make him king.

23Rehoboam also acted wisely by dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and sought many wives for them.

23And He dealt wisely, and he scattered all his sons throughout all the territories of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city, and he gave to them provisions in abundance and sought for them many wives.