2 Chronicles 11 (21st Century King James Version)

2 Chronicles 11

 ¹And when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he gathered from the house of Judah and Benjamin a hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men who were warriors to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.

   
 ²But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

   
 ³"Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

   
 ⁴`Thus saith the LORD: Ye shall not go up nor fight against your brethren. Return every man to his house, for this thing is done from Me.'" And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

   
 ⁵And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah.

   
 ⁶He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

   
 ⁷and Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam,

   
 ⁸and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

   
 ⁹and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

   
 ¹⁰and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities.

   
 ¹¹And he fortified the strongholds and put captains in them, and stores of victuals and of oil and wine.

   
 ¹²And in each separate city he put shields and spears, and made them exceedingly strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.

   
 ¹³And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their borders.

   
 ¹⁴For the Levites left their suburbs and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest's office unto the LORD.

   
 ¹⁵And he ordained for himself priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.

   
 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.

   
 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.

   
 ¹⁸And Rehoboam took Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David for a wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse,

   
 ¹⁹who bore him children: Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.

   
 ²⁰And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

   
 ²¹And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines (for he took eighteen wives and threescore concubines, and begot twenty and eight sons and threescore daughters);

   
 ²²and Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief to be ruler among his brethren, for he thought to make him king.

   
 ²³And he dealt wisely, and dispersed some of his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fortified city; and he gave them victuals in abundance. And he desired many wives.