2 Chronicles 11

1And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.

2But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

3Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

4Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

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

6He built even Beth-lehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

7And Beth-zur, and Shoco, 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 fenced cities.

11And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine.

12And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.

13And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts.footnote a

14For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest’s office unto the LORD:

15And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.

16And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers.

17So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.

18And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;

19Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.

20And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.footnote b

21And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.)

22And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king.

23And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city: and he gave them victual in abundance. And he desired many wives.footnote c

Shemaiah’s Prophecy

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. 2But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God: 3“Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and 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 is My doing.’”
So they listened to the words of the LORD and turned back from going against Jeroboam.

Rehoboam Fortifies Judah

5Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and he built up cities for defense in Judah. 6He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, 8Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. 11He strengthened their fortifications and put officers in them, with supplies of food, oil, and wine. 12He also put shields and spears in all the cities and strengthened them greatly. So Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.

Jeroboam Forsakes the Priests and Levites

13Moreover, the priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel stood with Rehoboam. 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. 15And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons 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. 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.

Rehoboam’s Family

18And Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was 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.

20After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, and 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.

22Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, intending to make him king. 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.