Dual Panel1When Rehoboam <07346> arrived <0935> in Jerusalem <03389>, he summoned <06950> 180,000 <0505> <08084> <03967> skilled <0970> warriors <04421> <06213> from Judah <03063> and Benjamin <01144> to attack <05973> <03898> Israel <03478> and restore <07725> the kingdom <04467> to Rehoboam <07346>.
2But the Lord <03069> told <01697> Shemaiah <08098> the prophet <0430> <0376>,
3“Say <0559> this to <0413> King <04428> Rehoboam <07346> son <01121> of Solomon <08010> of Judah <03063> and to <0413> all <03605> the Israelites <03478> in Judah <03063> and Benjamin <01144>,
4‘The Lord <03068> says <0559> this <03541>: “Do not <03808> attack <05927> and make war <03898> with <05973> your brothers <0251>. Each <0376> of you go <07725> home <01004>, for <03588> I have caused this <02088> to happen <01961>.”’” They obeyed <08085> the Lord <03068> and called off <07725> the attack <01980> against <0413> Jeroboam <03379>.
5Rehoboam <07346> lived <03427> in Jerusalem <03389>; he built up <01129> these fortified <04692> cities <05892> throughout Judah <03063>:
6Bethlehem <01035>, Etam <05862>, Tekoa <08620>,
7Beth Zur <01049>, Soco <07755>, Adullam <05725>,
8Gath <01661>, Mareshah <04762>, Ziph <02128>,
9Adoraim <0115>, Lachish <03923>, Azekah <05825>,
10Zorah <06881>, Aijalon <0357>, and Hebron <02275>. These were the fortified <04694> cities <05892> in Judah <03063> and Benjamin <01144>.
11He fortified <02388> these cities <04694> and placed <05414> officers <05057> in them, as well as storehouses <0214> of food <03978>, olive oil <08081>, and wine <03196>.
12In each city <05892> <05892> <03605> there were shields <06793> and spears <07420>; he strongly <03966> <07235> fortified <02388> them. Judah <03063> and Benjamin <01144> belonged <01961> to him.
13The priests <03548> and Levites <03881> who <0834> lived throughout <03605> Israel <03478> supported <03320> him, no matter where they resided <01366>.
14The Levites <03881> even <03588> left <05800> their pasturelands <04054> and their property <0272> behind and came <01980> to Judah <03063> and Jerusalem <03389>, for <03588> Jeroboam <03379> and his sons <01121> prohibited <02186> them from serving as <03547> the Lord’s <03068> priests <03547>.
15Jeroboam appointed <05975> his own priests <03548> to serve at the worship centers <01116> and to lead in the worship of the goat <08163> idols and calf <05695> idols he had made <06213>.
16Those among <0310> all <03605> the Israelite <03478> tribes <07626> who were determined <05414> to worship <01245> the Lord <03068> God <0430> of Israel <03478> followed <0935> them to Jerusalem <03389> to sacrifice <02076> to the Lord <03068> God <0430> of their ancestors <01>.
17They supported <02388> the kingdom <04438> of Judah <03063> and were loyal <0553> to Rehoboam <07346> son <01121> of Solomon <08010> for <03588> three <07969> years <08141>; they followed <01980> the edicts <01870> of David <01732> and Solomon <08010> for three <07969> years <08141>.
18Rehoboam <07346> married <03947> Mahalath <04258> the daughter <01323> of David’s <01732> son <01121> <01121> Jerimoth and of Abihail <032>, the daughter <01323> of Jesse’s <03448> son <01121> Eliab <0446>.
19She bore <03205> him sons <01121> named Jeush <03266>, Shemariah <08114>, and Zaham <02093>.
20He later <0310> married <03947> Maacah <04601> the daughter <01323> of Absalom <053>. She bore <03205> to him Abijah <029>, Attai <06262>, Ziza <02124>, and Shelomith <08019>.
21Rehoboam <07346> loved <0157> Maacah <04601> daughter <01323> of Absalom <053> more than his other <03605> wives <0802> and concubines <06370>. He had <05375> eighteen <06240> <08083> wives <0802> and sixty <08346> concubines <06370>; he fathered <03205> twenty-eight <08083> <06242> sons <01121> and sixty <08346> daughters <01323>.
22Rehoboam <07346> appointed <05975> Abijah <029> son <01121> of Maacah <04601> as the leader <07218> over his brothers <0251>, for <03588> he intended to name him his successor <04427>.
23He wisely <0995> placed <06555> some <03605> of his many <03605> sons <01121> throughout <06555> the regions <0776> of Judah <03063> and Benjamin <01144> in the various <03605> fortified <04694> cities <05892>. He supplied <05414> them with abundant <07230> provisions <04202> and acquired <07592> many <01995> wives <0802> for them.