1 ARST When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he gathered 180,000 of the best soldiers from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. He wanted them to fight against the northern tribes of Israel and defeat them, in order that he could rule all twelves tribes again. BSB BSB: When 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.
2 ARST But Yahweh spoke to the prophet Shemaiah and said this to him: BSB BSB: But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God:
3 ARST “Go and tell this to Solomon’s son Rehoboam, the king of Judah, and to all the Israelite people of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin: BSB BSB: “Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin
4 ARST ‘Yahweh says that you must not go to fight against the people of Israel; it is as though they are your own relatives. All of you must go home. What has happened is what Yahweh wanted to happen.’” So Shemaiah went and told that to them, and they all paid attention to what Yahweh had commanded them to do; they did not attack Jeroboam and his soldiers. BSB BSB: that 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.
6 ARST In the area that belonged to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin they built walls around Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, BSB BSB: He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
7 ARST Beth Zur, Soko, Adullam, BSB BSB: Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,
8 ARST Gath, Mareshah, BSB BSB: Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
9 ARST Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, BSB BSB: Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
10 ARST Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. BSB BSB: Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.
11 ARST He also appointed an army commander in each of those cities and towns, and gave them supplies of food, olive oil, and wine. BSB BSB: He strengthened their fortifications and put officers in them, with supplies of food, oil, and wine.
12 ARST He put shields and spears in all the cities and made them well-protected. So he continued to control the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. BSB BSB: He also put shields and spears in all the cities and strengthened them greatly. So Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.
13 ARST The priests and other descendants of Levi throughout Israel supported Rehoboam. BSB BSB: Moreover, the priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel stood with Rehoboam.
14 ARST The descendants of Levi abandoned their property and their pastureland, and they came to Jerusalem and to other places in Judah, because Jeroboam and his sons would not allow them to do the work of priests of Yahweh. BSB BSB: For 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.
15 ARST Instead, Jeroboam appointed the priests that he wanted to work at the altars he commanded to be built on the hills all around the cities, to offer sacrifices to the idols that he commanded to be made that resembled goats and calves. BSB BSB: And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made.
16 ARST And people from every tribe in Israel who wanted to worship Yahweh, the God to whom the Israelites belonged, went with the descendants of Levi to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors worshiped. BSB BSB: Those 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.
17 ARST They caused the kingdom of Judah to be strong, and for three years they were happy that Solomon’s son Rehoboam was the king. During that time they conducted their lives righteously as David and Solomon had done previously. BSB BSB: So 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.
18 ARST Rehoboam married Mahalath. She was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth, and her mother was Abihail, the daughter of Eliab and granddaughter of Jesse. BSB BSB: And Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab.
19 ARST Rehoboam and Mahalath had three sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. BSB BSB: She bore sons to him: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
20 ARST Later Rehoboam married Maacah, the daughter of Absalom, and they had four sons: Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. BSB BSB: After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
21 ARST Rehoboam loved Maacah more than he loved any other of his wives and slave wives. Altogether he had eighteen wives and sixty slave wives, and twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. BSB BSB: Rehoboam 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.
22 ARST Rehoboam appointed his son Abijah to be the leader of his older and younger brothers, because he wanted to appoint Abijah to be the next king. BSB BSB: Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, intending to make him king.
23 ARST He very wisely sent some of his other sons to other cities in the areas of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and to other cities that had walls around them. He gave them plenty of supplies and many wives. BSB BSB: Rehoboam 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.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.