1Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem. He brought together 180,000 capable young men from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. He had decided to go to war against Israel. He wanted his fighting men to get the kingdom of Israel back for him.2But a message came to Shemaiah from the LORD. Shemaiah was a man of God. The LORD said to him,3‘Speak to Solomon’s son Rehoboam, the king of Judah. Speak to all the people of Israel in Judah and Benjamin. Tell them,4“The LORD says, ‘Do not go up to fight against your relatives. I want every one of you to go back home. Things have happened exactly the way I planned them.’ ” ’ So the young men obeyed the LORD’s message. They turned back. They didn’t march out against Jeroboam.
Rehoboam builds up Judah’s towns
5Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem. He made Judah more secure by building up its towns.6He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,7Beth Zur, Soko and Adullam.8He also built up Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,9Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,10Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron. All of them were cities in Judah and Benjamin that had high walls around them.11Rehoboam made those cities even more secure. He put commanders in them. He gave the cities plenty of food, olive oil and wine.12He put shields and spears in all those cities. He made them very strong. So he ruled over Judah and Benjamin.13The priests and Levites were on Rehoboam’s side. They came from their territories all over Israel.14The Levites even left their grasslands and other property behind. They came to Judah and Jerusalem. That’s because Jeroboam and his sons had refused to accept them as priests of the LORD.15Jeroboam had appointed his own priests to serve at the high places. He had made statues of gods that looked like goats and calves. His priests served those gods.16Some people from every tribe in Israel followed the Levites to Jerusalem. With all their hearts they wanted to worship the LORD. He is the God of Israel. They came to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to him. He was the God of their people of long ago.17All those who came to Jerusalem made the kingdom of Judah strong. They helped Solomon’s son Rehoboam for three years. During that time they lived the way David and Solomon had lived.
Rehoboam’s family
18Rehoboam married Mahalath. She was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth. Her mother was Abihail. Abihail was the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab.19Mahalath had sons by Rehoboam. Their names were Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham.20Then Rehoboam married Maakah. She was the daughter of Absalom. She had sons by Rehoboam. Their names were Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith.21Rehoboam loved Absalom’s daughter Maakah. In fact, he loved her more than any of his other wives and concubines. He had a total of 18 wives and 60 concubines. And he had a total of 28 sons and 60 daughters.22Rehoboam appointed Maakah’s son Abijah to be the chief prince among his brothers. He did it because he wanted to make him king.23Rehoboam acted wisely. He scattered some of his sons through all the territories of Judah and Benjamin. He put them in all the cities that had high walls around them. He gave them plenty of food and everything else they needed. He also gave them many wives.
2 Chronicles 11
English Standard Version
Rehoboam Secures His Kingdom
1When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. (1Ki 12:21)2But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God: (2Ch 12:5; 2Ch 12:15)3“Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin,4‘Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives. Return every man to his home, for this thing is from me.’” So they listened to the word of the Lord and returned and did not go against Jeroboam. (2Ch 28:8; 2Ch 28:11)5Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and he built cities for defense in Judah. (2Ch 8:5; 2Ch 11:23; 2Ch 12:4; 2Ch 14:6; 2Ch 17:2; 2Ch 17:19; 2Ch 21:3)6He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,7Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,8Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, (2Ch 14:9)9Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,10Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, fortified cities that are in Judah and in Benjamin.11He made the fortresses strong, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine.12And he put shields and spears in all the cities and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin.
Priests and Levites Come to Jerusalem
13And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel presented themselves to him from all places where they lived.14For the Levites left their common lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons cast them out from serving as priests of the Lord, (Nu 35:2; 2Ch 13:9)15and he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat idols and for the calves that he had made. (1Ki 12:28; 1Ki 12:31; 1Ki 13:33)16And those who had set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their fathers. (2Ch 15:9)17They strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they made Rehoboam the son of Solomon secure, for they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon. (2Ch 12:1)
Rehoboam’s Family
18Rehoboam took as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse, (1Sa 16:6; 1Sa 17:13; 1Sa 17:28; 1Ch 27:18)19and she bore him sons, Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.20After her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. (1Ki 14:31; 1Ki 15:2)21Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and concubines (he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters).22And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. (De 21:15; 2Ch 11:20)23And he dealt wisely and distributed some of his sons through all the districts of Judah and Benjamin, in all the fortified cities, and he gave them abundant provisions and procured wives for them.[1]