Shemaiah’s Prophecy
(1 Kings 12:20–24)

1  וַיָּבֹ֣א (And came) רְחַבְעָם֮ (Rehoboam) יְרוּשָׁלִַם֒ (to Jerusalem), וַיַּקְהֵל֩ (and he assembled) אֶת־ (-) בֵּ֨ית (from the house) יְהוּדָ֜ה (of Judah) וּבִנְיָמִ֗ן (and Benjamin) מֵאָ֨ה (a hundred) וּשְׁמוֹנִ֥ים (and eighty) אֶ֛לֶף (thousand) בָּח֖וּר (chosen) עֹשֵׂ֣ה (to make) מִלְחָמָ֑ה (war) לְהִלָּחֵם֙ (to fight) עִם־ (against) יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (Israel), לְהָשִׁ֥יב (that he might restore) אֶת־ (-) הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה (the kingdom) לִרְחַבְעָֽם׃פ (to Rehoboam). 2  וַיְהִי֙ (And came) דְּבַר־ (the word) יְהוָ֔ה (of YHWH) אֶל־ (to) שְׁמַֽעְיָ֥הוּ (Shemaiah) אִישׁ־ (the man) הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים (of God), לֵאמֹֽר׃ (saying), 3  אֱמֹ֕ר (Speak) אֶל־ (to) רְחַבְעָ֥ם (Rehoboam) בֶּן־ (son) שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה (of Solomon), מֶ֣לֶךְ (king) יְהוּדָ֑ה (of Judah), וְאֶל֙ (and to) כָּל־ (all) יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (Israel) בִּיהוּדָ֥ה (in Judah) וּבִנְיָמִ֖ן (and Benjamin), לֵאמֹֽר׃ (saying), 4  כֹּ֣ה (thus) אָמַ֣ר (says) יְהוָ֡ה (YHWH): לֹא־ (Not) תַעֲלוּ֩ (you⁺ shall go up) וְלֹא־ (and not) תִלָּ֨חֲמ֜וּ (you⁺ shall fight) עִם־ (against) אֲחֵיכֶ֗ם (your⁺ brothers); שׁ֚וּבוּ (and let return) אִ֣ישׁ (every man) לְבֵית֔וֹ (to his house), כִּ֧י (for) מֵֽאִתִּ֛י (from Me) נִהְיָ֖ה (is) הַדָּבָ֣ר (the thing) הַזֶּ֑ה (this).

וַֽיִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ (And they heard) אֶת־ (-) דִּבְרֵ֣י (the words) יְהוָ֔ה (of YHWH) וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ (and turned back) מִלֶּ֥כֶת (from going) אֶל־ (against) יָרָבְעָֽם׃פ (Jeroboam).

Rehoboam Fortifies Judah

5  וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב (And dwelt) רְחַבְעָ֖ם (Rehoboam) בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם (in Jerusalem) וַיִּ֧בֶן (and he built) עָרִ֛ים (cities) לְמָצ֖וֹר (for fortification) בִּיהוּדָֽה׃ (in Judah). 6  וַיִּ֧בֶן (And he built) אֶת־ (-) בֵּֽית־ (Beth-) לֶ֛חֶם (lehem), וְאֶת־ (and) עֵיטָ֖ם (Etam), וְאֶת־ (and) תְּקֽוֹעַ׃ (Tekoa), 7  וְאֶת־ (and) בֵּֽית־ (Beth-) צ֥וּר (zur), וְאֶת־ (and) שׂוֹכ֖וֹ (Soco), וְאֶת־ (and) עֲדֻלָּֽם׃ (Adullam), 8  וְאֶת־ (and) גַּ֥ת (Gath), וְאֶת־ (and) מָרֵשָׁ֖ה (Mareshah), וְאֶת־ (and) זִֽיף׃ (Ziph), 9  וְאֶת־ (and) אֲדוֹרַ֥יִם (Adoraim), וְאֶת־ (and) לָכִ֖ישׁ (Lachish), וְאֶת־ (and) עֲזֵקָֽה׃ (Azekah), 10  וְאֶת־ (and) צָרְעָה֙ (Zorah) וְאֶת־ (and) אַיָּל֔וֹן (Aijalon), וְאֶת־ (and) חֶבְר֔וֹן (Hebron), אֲשֶׁ֥ר (which are) בִּיהוּדָ֖ה (in Judah) וּבְבִנְיָמִ֑ן (and in Benjamin) עָרֵ֖י (cities) מְצֻרֽוֹת׃ (the fortified). 11  וַיְחַזֵּ֖ק (And he strengthened) אֶת־ (-) הַמְּצֻר֑וֹת (the fortifications) וַיִּתֵּ֤ן (and put) בָּהֶם֙ (in them) נְגִידִ֔ים (captains) וְאֹצְר֥וֹת (and stores) מַאֲכָ֖ל (of food) וְשֶׁ֥מֶן (and oil) וָיָֽיִן׃ (and wine), 12  וּבְכָל־ (and in each) עִ֤יר (city) וָעִיר֙ (by city), צִנּ֣וֹת (shields) וּרְמָחִ֔ים (and spears), וַֽיְחַזְּקֵ֖ם (and he strengthened them) לְהַרְבֵּ֣ה (greatly) מְאֹ֑ד (exceedingly), וַיְהִי־ (and were) ל֖וֹ (unto him) יְהוּדָ֥ה (Judah) וּבִנְיָמִֽן׃ס (and Benjamin).

Jeroboam Forsakes the Priests and Levites

13  וְהַכֹּהֲנִים֙ (And the priests) וְהַלְוִיִּ֔ם (and the Levites) אֲשֶׁ֖ר (who were) בְּכָל־ (in all) יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (Israel) הִֽתְיַצְּב֥וּ (took their stand) עָלָ֖יו (with him) מִכָּל־ (from all) גְּבוּלָֽם׃ (their territories). 14  כִּֽי־ (For) עָזְב֣וּ (left) הַלְוִיִּ֗ם (the Levites) אֶת־ (-) מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶם֙ (their pasturelands) וַאֲחֻזָּתָ֔ם (and their possession), וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ (and they came) לִיהוּדָ֖ה (to Judah) וְלִֽירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם (and Jerusalem), כִּֽי־ (for) הִזְנִיחָ֤ם (had rejected them) יָֽרָבְעָם֙ (Jeroboam) וּבָנָ֔יו (and his sons) מִכַּהֵ֖ן (from serving as priests) לַיהוָֽה׃ (to YHWH). 15  וַיַּֽעֲמֶד־ (And he appointed) לוֹ֙ (for himself) כֹּֽהֲנִ֔ים (priests) לַבָּמ֖וֹת (for the high places), וְלַשְּׂעִירִ֑ים (and for the goat demons), וְלָעֲגָלִ֖ים (and for the calf idols) אֲשֶׁ֥ר (that) עָשָֽׂה׃ (he had made).

16  וְאַחֲרֵיהֶ֗ם (And after them), מִכֹּל֙ (those from all) שִׁבְטֵ֣י (the tribes) יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (of Israel) הַנֹּֽתְנִים֙ (who had set) אֶת־ (-) לְבָבָ֔ם (their heart) לְבַקֵּ֕שׁ (to seek) אֶת־ (-) יְהוָ֖ה (YHWH) אֱלֹהֵ֣י (God) יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (of Israel) בָּ֚אוּ (came) יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם (to Jerusalem), לִזְבּ֕וֹחַ (to sacrifice) לַיהוָ֖ה (to YHWH) אֱלֹהֵ֥י (God) אֲבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ (of their fathers). 17  וַֽיְחַזְּקוּ֙ (And they strengthened) אֶת־ (-) מַלְכ֣וּת (the kingdom) יְהוּדָ֔ה (of Judah), וַֽיְאַמְּצ֛וּ (and they made strong) אֶת־ (-) רְחַבְעָ֥ם (Rehoboam) בֶּן־ (son) שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה (of Solomon) לְשָׁנִ֣ים (years) שָׁל֑וֹשׁ (three), כִּ֣י (because) הָֽלְכ֗וּ (they walked) בְּדֶ֧רֶךְ (in the way) דָּוִ֛יד (of David) וּשְׁלֹמֹ֖ה (and Solomon) לְשָׁנִ֥ים (years) שָׁלֽוֹשׁ׃ (three).

Rehoboam’s Family

18  וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ (And took) ל֤וֹ (for himself) רְחַבְעָם֙ (Rehoboam) אִשָּׁ֔ה (as wife) אֶת־ (-) מָ֣חֲלַ֔ת (Mahalath) בֶּן (the daughter) יְרִימ֖וֹת (of Jerimoth) בֶּן־ (son) דָּוִ֑יד (of David) אֲבִיהַ֕יִל (and of Abihail) בַּת־ (daughter) אֱלִיאָ֖ב (of Eliab) בֶּן־ (son) יִשָֽׁי׃ (of Jesse). 19  וַתֵּ֥לֶד (And she bore) ל֖וֹ (to him) בָּנִ֑ים (sons): אֶת־ (-) יְע֥וּשׁ (Jeush), וְאֶת־ (and) שְׁמַרְיָ֖ה (Shemariah), וְאֶת־ (and) זָֽהַם׃ (Zaham).

20  וְאַחֲרֶ֣יהָ (And after her) לָקַ֔ח (he took) אֶֽת־ (-) מַעֲכָ֖ה (Maacah) בַּת־ (the granddaughter) אַבְשָׁל֑וֹם (of Absalom), וַתֵּ֣לֶד (and she bore) ל֗וֹ (to him) אֶת־ (-) אֲבִיָּה֙ (Abijah), וְאֶת־ (and) עַתַּ֔י (Attai), וְאֶת־ (and) זִיזָ֖א (Ziza), וְאֶת־ (and) שְׁלֹמִֽית׃ (Shelomith). 21  וַיֶּאֱהַ֨ב (And loved) רְחַבְעָ֜ם (Rehoboam) אֶת־ (-) מַעֲכָ֣ה (Maacah) בַת־ (daughter) אַבְשָׁל֗וֹם (of Absalom) מִכָּל־ (above all) נָשָׁיו֙ (his wives) וּפִ֣ילַגְשָׁ֔יו (and his concubines). כִּ֠י (For) נָשִׁ֤ים (wives) שְׁמוֹנֶֽה־ (eight) עֶשְׂרֵה֙ (and ten) נָשָׂ֔א (he took), וּפִֽילַגְשִׁ֖ים (and concubines) שִׁשִּׁ֑ים (sixty), וַיּ֗וֹלֶד (and he begat) עֶשְׂרִ֧ים (twenty) וּשְׁמוֹנָ֛ה (and eight) בָּנִ֖ים (sons) וְשִׁשִּׁ֥ים (and sixty) בָּנֽוֹת׃ (daughters).

22  וַיַּֽעֲמֵ֨ד (And appointed) לָרֹ֧אשׁ (as chief) רְחַבְעָ֛ם (Rehoboam) אֶת־ (-) אֲבִיָּ֥ה (Abijah) בֶֽן־ (son) מַעֲכָ֖ה (of Maacah) לְנָגִ֣יד (for leader) בְּאֶחָ֑יו (among his brothers), כִּ֖י (in order) לְהַמְלִיכֽוֹ׃ (to make him king). 23  וַיָּבֶן֩ (And He dealt wisely) וַיִּפְרֹ֨ץ (and he scattered) מִכָּל־ (all) בָּנָ֜יו (his sons) לְֽכָל־ (throughout all) אַרְצ֧וֹת (the territories) יְהוּדָ֣ה (of Judah) וּבִנְיָמִ֗ן (and Benjamin), לְכֹל֙ (to every) עָרֵ֣י (city) הַמְּצֻר֔וֹת (fortified), וַיִּתֵּ֥ן (and he gave) לָהֶ֛ם (them) הַמָּז֖וֹן (provisions) לָרֹ֑ב (in abundance) וַיִּשְׁאַ֖ל (and sought for them) הֲמ֥וֹן (many) נָשִֽׁים׃ (wives).