| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Now when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled from the house of Judah and Benjamin one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. | 1When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the house of Judah and Benjamin—180,000 chosen warriors—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 the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the 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 Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin |
| 4‘Thus says the LORD: “You shall not go up or fight against your brethren! Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” Therefore they obeyed the words of the LORD, and turned back from attacking Jeroboam. | 4that this is what the LORD says: ‘You are not to go up and fight against your brothers. Each of you must return home, for this word is from Me.’ ” So they listened to the words of the LORD and turned back from going against Jeroboam. |
| 5So Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah. | 5Rehoboam continued to live in Jerusalem, and he built up cities for defense in Judah. |
| 6And he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, | 6He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, |
| 7Beth Zur, Sochoh, Adullam, | 7Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, |
| 8Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, | 8Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, |
| 9Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, | 9Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, |
| 10Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and Benjamin, fortified cities. | 10Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. |
| 11And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine. | 11He strengthened their fortresses and put officers in them, with supplies of food, oil, and wine. |
| 12Also in every city he put shields and spears, and made them very strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side. | 12He also put shields and spears in all the cities and strengthened them greatly. So Judah and Benjamin belonged to him. |
| 13And from all their territories the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him. | 13Moreover, the priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel stood with Rehoboam. |
| 14For the Levites left their common-lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to the LORD. | 14For the Levites left their pasturelands and their possessions and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD. |
| 15Then he appointed for himself priests for the high places, for the demons, and the calf idols which he had made. | 15And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made. |
| 16And after the Levites left, those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the LORD God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers. | 16Those from every tribe of Israel who had set their hearts to seek the LORD their God followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers. |
| 17So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years. | 17So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, because they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon. |
| 18Then Rehoboam took for himself as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliah the son of Jesse. | 18And Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab. |
| 19And she bore him children: Jeush, Shamariah, and Zaham. | 19She bore sons to him: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. |
| 20After her he took Maachah the granddaughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. | 20After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. |
| 21Now Rehoboam loved Maachah the granddaughter of Absalom more than all his wives and his concubines; for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. | 21Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. |
| 22And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maachah as chief, to be leader among his brothers; for he intended to make him king. | 22Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, intending to make him king. |
| 23He dealt wisely, and dispersed some of his sons throughout all the territories of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city; and he gave them provisions in abundance. He also sought many wives for them. | 23Rehoboam also acted wisely by dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and sought many wives for them. |
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