“Send me, therefore, a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in the art of engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled workers, whom my father David provided.

The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Nothing like them had ever been seen in Judah.)

But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them.

When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered Judah and Benjamin—a hundred and eighty thousand able young men—to go to war against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam.

“Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin,

Rehoboam Fortifies Judah

Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built up towns for defense in Judah:

Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron. These were fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.

He put shields and spears in all the cities, and made them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his.

The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the Lord

They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon three years, following the ways of David and Solomon during this time.

He acted wisely, dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and took many wives for them.

he captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

Then the prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the Lord says, ‘You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon you to Shishak.’”

Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good in Judah.

Abijah King of Judah

In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah,

Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah the ambush was behind them.

Judah turned and saw that they were being attacked at both front and rear. Then they cried out to the Lord. The priests blew their trumpets

and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. At the sound of their battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

The Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands.

The Israelites were subdued on that occasion, and the people of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

Asa King of Judah

Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.

He commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his laws and commands.

He removed the high places and incense altars in every town in Judah, and the kingdom was at peace under him.

He built up the fortified cities of Judah, since the land was at peace. No one was at war with him during those years, for the Lord gave him rest.

“Let us build up these towns,” he said to Judah, “and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God; we sought him and he has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.