| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he summoned 180,000 skilled warriors from Judah and Benjamin to attack Israel and 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 LORD told Shemaiah the prophet, | 2But a message from the LORD came to Shemaiah, a man of God: |
| 3"Say this to King Rehoboam son of Solomon of Judah and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin, | 3"Tell Solomon's son Rehoboam, king of Judah and all of Israel in Judah and Benjamin: |
| 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. | 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; he built up these fortified cities throughout Judah: | 5Rehoboam continued to live in Jerusalem and built defensive fortification cities throughout Judah, |
| 6Bethlehem, 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. These were the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. | 10Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These were all fortified cities throughout Judah and Benjamin. |
| 11He fortified these cities and placed officers in them, as well as storehouses of food, olive oil, and wine. | 11He also strengthened the fortified cities, assigned officers to them, and stockpiled food, oil, and wine. |
| 12In each city there were shields and spears; he strongly fortified them. Judah and Benjamin belonged to him. | 12He also stockpiled shields and spears in every city and fortified them greatly to secure his rule over Judah and Benjamin. |
| 13The priests and Levites who lived throughout Israel supported him, no matter where they resided. | 13The priests and descendants of Levi throughout Israel also supported him in their districts, |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 15Jeroboam had appointed his own priests to serve at the high places and to serve the satyrs and calves that he had made. |
| 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. | 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 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. | 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. |
| 18Rehoboam married Mahalath the daughter of David's son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse's son Eliab. | 18Rehoboam married Mahalath, the daughter of David's son Jerimoth, along with Abihail, the daughter of Jesse's son Eliab, |
| 19She bore him sons named Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. | 19who bore him these sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. |
| 20He later married Maacah the daughter of Absalom. She bore to 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 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. | 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 son of Maacah as the leader over his brothers, for he intended to name him his successor. | 22Later, Rehoboam appointed Abijah, his son from Maacah, as senior family leader among his brothers, since he intended to establish Abijah as king. |
| 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. | 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. |
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