Fluent Translation · Read & Reflect
2 Chronicles 11
Rehoboam Is Forbidden to Fight Israel
When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, one hundred eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight against Israel and return the kingdom to Rehoboam. But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, “Speak to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, Thus says the LORD: You will not go up and fight against your brothers. Return each man to his house, for this thing is from me.” So they listened to the words of the LORD and turned back from going against Jeroboam.
Rehoboam Fortifies Judah
Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built cities for defense in Judah. He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, Beth-Zur, Soco, Adullam, Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. He strengthened the fortresses and put commanders in them and stores of food, oil, and wine. In every city he put shields and spears and made them exceedingly strong. So Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.
Priests and Levites Come to Judah
The priests and Levites who were in all Israel presented themselves to him from all their territories. For the Levites left their pasturelands and their property and went to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to the LORD. He appointed for himself priests for the high places, for the goat-demons, and for the calves that he had made. After them, from all the tribes of Israel, people who set their heart to seek the LORD, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their ancestors. They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and made Rehoboam son of Solomon strong for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
Rehoboam’s Household
Rehoboam took as wife Mahalath daughter of Jerimoth son of David and of Abihail daughter of Eliab son of Jesse. She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. After her he took Maacah daughter of Absalom, and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines, for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as head, to be leader among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. He acted wisely and distributed some of all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and sought many wives for them.