| New King James Version | NET 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 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, saying, | 2But the LORD told Shemaiah the prophet, |
| 3“Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, | 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 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. | 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. |
| 5So Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah. | 5Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem; he built up these fortified cities throughout Judah: |
| 6And he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, | 6Bethlehem, 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. These were 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 fortified these cities and placed officers in them, as well as storehouses of food, olive oil, and wine. |
| 12Also in every city he put shields and spears, and made them very strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side. | 12In each city there were shields and spears; he strongly fortified them. 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. | 13The priests and Levites who lived throughout Israel supported him, no matter where they resided. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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 to serve at the worship centers and to lead in the worship of the goat idols 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 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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 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 him sons named Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. |
| 20After her he took Maachah the granddaughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. | 20He later married Maacah the daughter of Absalom. 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 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 Maachah as chief, to be leader 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. |
| 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. | 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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