2 Chronicles 11:1-17 ▼

1 And 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.

2 And 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,

4 thus 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.

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

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

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

8 and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

9 and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

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

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

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

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

14 For 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.

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

16 And 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.

17 And 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.