| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 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. | 1When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he summoned 180,000 skilled warriors from Judah and Benjamin to attack Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. |
| 2But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God: | 2But the LORD told Shemaiah the prophet, |
| 3“Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin | 3"Say this to King Rehoboam son of Solomon of Judah and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin, |
| 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 word is from Me.’ ” So they listened to the words of the LORD and turned back from going against Jeroboam. | 4The LORD says this: "Do not attack and make war with your brothers. Each of you go home, for I have caused this to happen."'" They obeyed the LORD and called off the attack against Jeroboam. |
| 5Rehoboam continued to live in Jerusalem, and he built up cities for defense in Judah. | 5Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem; he built up these fortified cities throughout Judah: |
| 6He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, | 6Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, |
| 7Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, | 7Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam, |
| 8Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, | 8Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, |
| 9Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, | 9Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, |
| 10Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. | 10Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These were the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. |
| 11He strengthened their fortresses and put officers in them, with supplies of food, oil, and wine. | 11He fortified these cities and placed officers in them, as well as storehouses of food, olive oil, and wine. |
| 12He also put shields and spears in all the cities and strengthened them greatly. So Judah and Benjamin belonged to him. | 12In each city there were shields and spears; he strongly fortified them. Judah and Benjamin belonged to him. |
| 13Moreover, the priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel stood with Rehoboam. | 13The priests and Levites who lived throughout Israel supported him, no matter where they resided. |
| 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. | 14The Levites even left their pasturelands and their property behind and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons prohibited them from serving as the LORD's priests. |
| 15And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made. | 15Jeroboam appointed his own priests to serve at the worship centers and to lead in the worship of the goat idols and calf idols 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. | 16Those among all the Israelite tribes who were determined to worship the LORD God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD God of their ancestors. |
| 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. | 17They supported the kingdom of Judah and were loyal to Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years; they followed the edicts of David and Solomon for three years. |
| 18And Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab. | 18Rehoboam married Mahalath the daughter of David's son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse's son Eliab. |
| 19She bore sons to him: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. | 19She bore him sons named Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. |
| 20After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. | 20He later married Maacah the daughter of Absalom. She bore to him Abijah, Attai, 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. | 21Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than his other wives and concubines. He had eighteen wives and sixty concubines; he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. |
| 22Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, intending to make him king. | 22Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as the leader over his brothers, for he intended to name him his successor. |
| 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. | 23He wisely placed some of his many sons throughout the regions of Judah and Benjamin in the various fortified cities. He supplied them with abundant provisions and acquired many wives for them. |
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