Shemaiah’s Prophecy
(1 Kings 12:20–24)

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. 2And the word of YHWH came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3“Speak to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, 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

5And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and he built cities for fortification 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, the fortified cities. 11And he strengthened the fortifications and put in them captains, and stores of food, and oil, and wine, 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

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 possession, and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to YHWH. 15And he appointed for himself priests for the high places, and for the goat demons, and for the calf idols that he had made.

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

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

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