| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1When Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem, he mobilized the men of Judah and Benjamin—180,000 select troops—to fight against Israel and to restore the kingdom to himself. | 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 LORD said to Shemaiah, the man of God, | 2But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God: |
| 3“Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin: | 3“Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin |
| 4‘This is what the LORD says: Do not fight against your relatives. Go back home, for what has happened is my doing!’” So they obeyed the message of the LORD and did not fight against Jeroboam. Rehoboam Fortifies Judah | 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. |
| 5Rehoboam remained in Jerusalem and fortified various towns for the defense of Judah. | 5Rehoboam continued to live in Jerusalem, and he built up cities for defense in Judah. |
| 6He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, | 6He built up 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 became the fortified towns of Judah and Benjamin. | 10Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. |
| 11Rehoboam strengthened their defenses and stationed commanders in them, and he stored supplies of food, olive oil, and wine. | 11He strengthened their fortresses and put officers in them, with supplies of food, oil, and wine. |
| 12He also put shields and spears in these towns as a further safety measure. So only Judah and Benjamin remained under his control. | 12He also put shields and spears in all the cities and strengthened them greatly. So Judah and Benjamin belonged to him. |
| 13But all the priests and Levites living among the northern tribes of Israel sided with Rehoboam. | 13Moreover, the priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel stood with Rehoboam. |
| 14The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property and moved to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons would not allow them to serve the LORD as priests. | 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. |
| 15Jeroboam appointed his own priests to serve at the pagan shrines, where they worshiped the goat and calf idols he had made. | 15And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made. |
| 16From all the tribes of Israel, those who sincerely wanted to worship the LORD, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem, where they could offer sacrifices to the LORD, the God of their ancestors. | 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. |
| 17This strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they supported Rehoboam son of Solomon, for during those years they faithfully followed in the footsteps of David and Solomon. Rehoboam’s Family | 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. |
| 18Rehoboam married his cousin Mahalath, the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Eliab 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. |
| 19Mahalath had three sons—Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. | 19She bore sons to him: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. |
| 20Later Rehoboam married another cousin, Maacah, the granddaughter of Absalom. Maacah gave birth to Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. | 20After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. |
| 21Rehoboam loved Maacah more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and they gave birth to 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. |
| 22Rehoboam appointed Maacah’s son Abijah as leader among the princes, making it clear that he would be the next king. | 22Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, intending to make him king. |
| 23Rehoboam also wisely gave responsibilities to his other sons and stationed some of them in the fortified towns throughout the land of Judah and Benjamin. He provided them with generous provisions, and he found 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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