| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. | 1When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he summoned 180,000 skilled warriors from Judah and Benjamin to attack Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. |
| 2But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God: | 2But the LORD told Shemaiah the prophet, |
| 3“Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, | 3"Say this to King Rehoboam son of Solomon of Judah and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin, |
| 4‘Thus says the LORD, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives. Return every man to his home, for this thing is from me.’” So they listened to the word of the LORD and returned and did not go against Jeroboam. | 4The LORD says this: "Do not attack and make war with your brothers. Each of you go home, for I have caused this to happen."'" They obeyed the LORD and called off the attack against Jeroboam. |
| 5Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and he built cities for defense in Judah. | 5Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem; he built up these fortified cities throughout Judah: |
| 6He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, | 6Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, |
| 7Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, | 7Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam, |
| 8Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, | 8Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, |
| 9Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, | 9Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, |
| 10Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, fortified cities that are in Judah and in Benjamin. | 10Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These were the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. |
| 11He made the fortresses strong, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine. | 11He fortified these cities and placed officers in them, as well as storehouses of food, olive oil, and wine. |
| 12And he put shields and spears in all the cities and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin. | 12In each city there were shields and spears; he strongly fortified them. Judah and Benjamin belonged to him. |
| 13And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel presented themselves to him from all places where they lived. | 13The priests and Levites who lived throughout Israel supported him, no matter where they resided. |
| 14For the Levites left their common lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons cast them out from serving as priests of the LORD, | 14The Levites even left their pasturelands and their property behind and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons prohibited them from serving as the LORD's priests. |
| 15and he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat idols and for the calves that he had made. | 15Jeroboam appointed his own priests to serve at the worship centers and to lead in the worship of the goat idols and calf idols he had made. |
| 16And those who had set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers. | 16Those among all the Israelite tribes who were determined to worship the LORD God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD God of their ancestors. |
| 17They strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they made Rehoboam the son of Solomon secure, for they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon. | 17They supported the kingdom of Judah and were loyal to Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years; they followed the edicts of David and Solomon for three years. |
| 18Rehoboam took as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse, | 18Rehoboam married Mahalath the daughter of David's son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse's son Eliab. |
| 19and she bore him sons, Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. | 19She bore him sons named Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. |
| 20After her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. | 20He later married Maacah the daughter of Absalom. She bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. |
| 21Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and concubines (he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters). | 21Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than his other wives and concubines. He had eighteen wives and sixty concubines; he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. |
| 22And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. | 22Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as the leader over his brothers, for he intended to name him his successor. |
| 23And he dealt wisely and distributed some of his sons through all the districts of Judah and Benjamin, in all the fortified cities, and he gave them abundant provisions and procured wives for them. | 23He wisely placed some of his many sons throughout the regions of Judah and Benjamin in the various fortified cities. He supplied them with abundant provisions and acquired many wives for them. |
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