2 Chronicles 11 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Rehoboam Builds Cities for Fortification

Then Rehoboam^H7346 came^H935 to Jerusalem^H3389 and assembled^H6950 the house^H1004 of Judah^H3063 and Benjamin^H1144, 180,000^H3967^H8084^H505 chosen^H977 men who could wage^H6213 war^H4421, to fight^H3898 against^H5973 Israel^H3478 to return^H7725 the kingdom^H4467 to Rehoboam^H7346.

2Ch 11:2

2Ch 11:2But the word of Yahweh came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

2Ch 11:3

2Ch 11:3“Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

2Ch 11:4

2Ch 11:4‘Thus says Yahweh, “You shall not go up and fight against your brothers; return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me.”’” So they listened to the words of Yahweh and returned from going against Jeroboam.

2Ch 11:5

Rehoboam^H7346 lived^H3427 in Jerusalem^H3389 and built^H1129 cities^H5892 for fortifications^H4692 in Judah^H3063.

2Ch 11:6

2Ch 11:6Thus he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

2Ch 11:7

2Ch 11:7Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,

2Ch 11:8

2Ch 11:8Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,

2Ch 11:9

2Ch 11:9Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

2Ch 11:10

2Ch 11:10Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin.

2Ch 11:11

2Ch 11:11He also strengthened the fortresses and put officers in them and stores of food, oil and wine.

2Ch 11:12

2Ch 11:12And he put large shields and spears in every city and strengthened them greatly. So he held Judah and Benjamin.

(1Ki 14:21–24 )

2Ch 11:13

Moreover, the priests^H3548 and the Levites^H3881 who^H834 were in all^H3605 Israel^H3478 took their stand^H3320 with him from all^H3605 their territories^H1366.

Jeroboam Sets Up His Own Priests

2Ch 11:14

2Ch 11:14For the Levites left their pasture lands and their possession of land and went to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from ministering as priests to Yahweh—

2Ch 11:15

2Ch 11:15And he set up priests of his own for the high places, for the goat demons and for the calves which he had made—

2Ch 11:16

2Ch 11:16Now those from all the tribes of Israel who gave their hearts to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, [fn]followed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

2Ch 11:17

2Ch 11:17They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and gave courage to Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

Rehoboam’s Family

2Ch 11:18

Then Rehoboam^H7346 took^H3947 as a wife^H802 Mahalath^H4258 the daughter^H1323 of Jerimoth^H3406 the son^H1121 of David^H1732 and of Abihail^H32 the daughter^H1323 of Eliab^H446 the son^H1121 of Jesse^H3448,

2Ch 11:19

2Ch 11:19and she bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

2Ch 11:20

2Ch 11:20And after her he took Maacah the daughter of [fn]Absalom, and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.

2Ch 11:21

2Ch 11:21And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and concubines. For he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines and became the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

2Ch 11:22

2Ch 11:22And Rehoboam set up Abijah the son of Maacah to be head and ruler among his brothers, for he intended to make him king.

2Ch 11:23

2Ch 11:23And he acted with discernment and distributed [fn]some of his sons through all the lands of Judah and Benjamin to all the fortified cities, and he gave them sustenance in abundance. And he sought a multitude of wives for them.