11 And 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.

² But 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.

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

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

⁷ and Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam,

⁸ and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

⁹ and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

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

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

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

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

¹⁴ For 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.

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

¹⁶ And 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.

¹⁷ So 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.

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

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

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

²¹ And 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);

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

²³ And 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.