| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard 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 choice warriors--to fight against Israel to restore the reign 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"Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people: |
| 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. | 4 'This is what the LORD says: You are not to march up and fight against your brothers. Each of you must return home, for this incident has come from Me.'" So they listened to what the LORD said and turned back from going against Jeroboam. |
| 5So Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah. | 5Rehoboam stayed in Jerusalem, and he fortified cities 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, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin. |
| 11And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine. | 11He strengthened their fortifications and put leaders 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 large shields and spears in each and every city to make them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his. |
| 13And from all their territories the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him. | 13The priests and Levites from all their regions throughout Israel took their stand 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 refused to let them serve as priests of Yahweh. |
| 15Then he appointed for himself priests for the high places, for the demons, and the calf idols which he had made. | 15Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places, the goat-demons, and the golden calves 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 determined in their hearts to seek Yahweh their God followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Yahweh, the God of their ancestors. |
| 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 in the way of David and Solomon for three years. |
| 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. | 18Rehoboam married Mahalath, daughter of David's son Jerimoth and of Abihail 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. She bore Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith to him. |
| 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. He acquired 18 wives and 60 concubines and was the father of 28 sons and 60 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, leader 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 showed discernment by dispersing some of his sons to all the regions of Judah and Benjamin and to all the fortified cities. He gave them plenty of provisions and sought many wives for them. |
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