2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11 ©

1 Rehoboam raiseth an army to reduce Israel, but is forbidden to proceed by the prophet Shemaiah. 5 He buildeth fenced cities, and putteth the strong holds in a good posture of defence. 13 The priests and Levites, cast off by Jeroboam in favour of his own idolatrous worship, resort to Jerusalem, and are followed by others out of Israel that feared God. 18 Rehoboam's wives and children.

1

AND when aRehoboam 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.

2

But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the bman of God, saying,

3

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

4

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

5

¶And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and fbuilt cities for defence in Judah.

6

He built even gBeth-lehem, and hEtam, and iTekoa,

7

And jBeth-zur, and Shoco, and Adullam,

8

And kGath, and lMareshah, and mZiph,

9

And Adoraim, and nLachish, and Azekah,

10

And oZorah, and Aijalon, and pHebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities.

11

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

12

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

13

¶And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel 1resorted to him out of all their *coasts.

14

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

15

And he tordained him priests for the high places, and for uthe devils, and for vthe calves which he had made.

16

And wafter 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.

17

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

18

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

19

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

20

And after her he took 2Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

21

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

22

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

23

And he dealt wisely, and bdispersed 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 3many wives.