| New American Standard Bible 1995 | International Standard Version |
| 1Now when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. | 1When Rehoboam returned to Jerusalem, he gathered together 180,000 specially chosen soldiers from the households of Judah and Benjamin to fight against Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. |
| 2But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, | 2But a message from the LORD came to Shemaiah, a man of God: |
| 3"Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, | 3"Tell Solomon's son Rehoboam, king of Judah and all of Israel in Judah and Benjamin: |
| 4'Thus says the LORD, "You shall not go up or fight against your relatives; return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me."'" So they listened to the words of the LORD and returned from going against Jeroboam. | 4This is what the LORD says: "You are not to fight or even to approach your relatives in battle. Every soldier is to return to his own home, for this development comes from me."'" So they listened to what the LORD had to say and called off their attack on Jeroboam. |
| 5Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built cities for defense in Judah. | 5Rehoboam continued to live in Jerusalem and built defensive fortification cities throughout Judah, |
| 6Thus he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, | 6including Bethlehem, 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, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin. | 10Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These were all fortified cities throughout Judah and Benjamin. |
| 11He also strengthened the fortresses and put officers in them and stores of food, oil and wine. | 11He also strengthened the fortified cities, assigned officers to them, and stockpiled food, oil, and wine. |
| 12He put shields and spears in every city and strengthened them greatly. So he held Judah and Benjamin. | 12He also stockpiled shields and spears in every city and fortified them greatly to secure his rule over Judah and Benjamin. |
| 13Moreover, the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel stood with him from all their districts. | 13The priests and descendants of Levi throughout Israel also supported him in their districts, |
| 14For the Levites left their pasture lands and their property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had excluded them from serving as priests to the LORD. | 14because the descendants of Levi left their pasture lands and their property to live in Judah and Jerusalem, since Jeroboam and his sons had excluded them from participating in priestly services to the LORD. |
| 15He set up priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs and for the calves which he had made. | 15Jeroboam had appointed his own priests to serve at the high places and to serve the satyrs and calves that he had made. |
| 16Those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers. | 16As a result, anyone from all of the tribes of Israel who was determined to seek the LORD God of Israel followed the descendants of Levi to Jerusalem so they could sacrifice to the LORD God of their ancestors, |
| 17They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years. | 17and they continued to strengthen the kingdom of Judah, supporting Solomon's son Rehoboam for three years, by living the way David and Solomon did for three years. |
| 18Then Rehoboam took as a 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, along with Abihail, the daughter of Jesse's son Eliab, |
| 19and she bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham. | 19who bore him these sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. |
| 20After her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom, and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. | 20After this he married Absalom's daughter Maacah, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. |
| 21Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and concubines. For he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. | 21Rehoboam loved Absalom's daughter Maacah more than he did all of his wives and mistresses. (He married eighteen wives and 60 concubines, fathering 28 sons and 60 daughters.) |
| 22Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah as head and leader among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. | 22Later, Rehoboam appointed Abijah, his son from Maacah, as senior family leader among his brothers, since he intended to establish Abijah as king. |
| 23He acted wisely and distributed some of his sons through all the territories of Judah and Benjamin to all the fortified cities, and he gave them food in abundance. And he sought many wives for them. | 23Rehoboam was wise to distribute some his children throughout all of the territories of Judah and Benjamin, placing them in all of the fortified cities. He allotted them abundant supplies of food and sought many wives for them. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
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