| New Living Translation | King James 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. | 1And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again 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, saying, |
| 3“Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin: | 3Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, |
| 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 | 4Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam. |
| 5Rehoboam remained in Jerusalem and fortified various towns for the defense of Judah. | 5And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah. |
| 6He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, | 6He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, |
| 7Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, | 7And Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam, |
| 8Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, | 8And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph, |
| 9Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, | 9And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, |
| 10Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These became the fortified towns of Judah and Benjamin. | 10And Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities. |
| 11Rehoboam strengthened their defenses and stationed commanders in them, and he stored supplies of food, olive oil, and wine. | 11And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of 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. | 12And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side. |
| 13But all the priests and Levites living among the northern tribes of Israel sided with Rehoboam. | 13And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts. |
| 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 suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest's office unto 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 he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which 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. | 16And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD 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 made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked 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 took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse; |
| 19Mahalath had three sons—Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. | 19Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham. |
| 20Later Rehoboam married another cousin, Maacah, the granddaughter of Absalom. Maacah gave birth to Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. | 20And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and 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. | 21And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.) |
| 22Rehoboam appointed Maacah’s son Abijah as leader among the princes, making it clear that he would be the next king. | 22And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought 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. | 23And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city: and he gave them victual in abundance. And he desired many wives. |
| Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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