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11 (A)Awo Lekobowaamu bwe yatuuka mu Yerusaalemi, n’akuŋŋaanya ennyumba ya Yuda n’eya Benyamini, bonna nga bawera abasajja abalwanyi emitwalo kkumi na munaana, bagende balwanyise Isirayiri, obwakabaka babuddize Lekobowaamu.

(B)Naye ekigambo kya Mukama ne kijjira Semaaya omusajja wa Katonda nti, “Gamba Lekobowaamu mutabani wa Sulemaani kabaka wa Yuda, n’Abayisirayiri bonna abali mu Yuda ne Benyamini nti, (C)Bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama, ‘Temulumba baganda bammwe. Buli omu ku mmwe addeyo ewuwe, kubanga kino kivudde gye ndi.’ ” Awo ne bagondera ekigambo kya Mukama, ne baddayo, ne batagenda kulumba Yerobowaamu.

Lekobowaamu Anyweza Yuda

Lekobowaamu n’abeera mu Yerusaalemi, n’azimba ebibuga eby’okwerinda mu Yuda: n’azimba Besirekemu, ne Etamu, ne Tekowa, ne Besuzuli, ne Soko, ne Adulamu, ne Gaasi, ne Malesa, ne Zifu, ne Adorayimu, ne Lakisi, ne Azeka, 10 ne Zola, ne Ayalooni, ne Kebbulooni nga bye bibuga ebiriko bbugwe ebyali mu Yuda ne Benyamini. 11 N’anyweza bbugwe waabyo, n’ateekayo abaduumizi, n’emmere ey’okwerinzisa n’amafuta ag’omuzeeyituuni ne wayini. 12 N’ateekayo engabo n’amafumu mu bibuga byonna, n’abinywereza ddala, Yuda ne Benyamini ne biba bibye.

13 Bakabona n’Abaleevi okuva mu Isirayiri yonna ne bakkiriziganya naye. 14 (D)Abaleevi ne bava mu butaka bwabwe ne baleka n’eby’obugagga bwabwe ne bajja mu Yuda ne Yerusaalemi, kubanga Yerobowaamu ne batabani be babagobaganya era ne babagaana okuweereza Mukama mu bwakabaka bwabwe, 15 (E)nga balonda bakabona abaabwe okuweerezanga ku bifo ebigulumivu, ne bakatonda baabwe ab’ebifaananyi eby’embuzi n’ente, bye yali abumbye. 16 (F)N’abo bonna abaali beewaddeyo mu mitima gyabwe okunoonya Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri ne bagenda n’Abaleevi e Yerusaalemi okuwaayo ssaddaaka eri Mukama Katonda wa bajjajjaabwe. 17 (G)Ne banyweza obwakabaka bwa Yuda, era ne bawagira Lekobowaamu mutabani wa Sulemaani okumala emyaka esatu, nga batambulira mu kkubo lya Dawudi ne Sulemaani.

Ennyumba ya Lekobowaamu

18 Lekobowaamu n’awasa Makalasi muwala wa Yerimosi mutabani wa Dawudi, ne Abikayiri muwala wa Eriyaabu mutabani wa Yese, 19 Makalasi n’azaalira Lekobowaamu abaana aboobulenzi: Yewusi, ne Semaliya ne Zakamu. 20 (H)Oluvannyuma Lekobowaamu n’awasa Maaka muwala wa Abusaalomu, n’amuzaalira Abiya, ne Attayi, ne Ziza ne Seromisi. 21 (I)Lekobowaamu n’ayagala nnyo Maaka muwala wa Abusaalomu okusinga bakazi be abalala. Bonna awamu n’awasa abakazi kkumi na munaana n’afunayo n’abalala nkaaga, abaamuzaalira abaana aboobulenzi amakumi abiri mu munaana n’abaana aboobuwala nkaaga.

22 (J)Lekobowaamu n’alonda Abiya mutabani wa Maaka okuba omukulu wa baganda be, ng’agenderera okumufuula kabaka. 23 N’akola eky’amagezi, n’asaasaanya batabani be abamu mu masaza ag’enjawulo aga Yuda ne Benyamini, ne mu bibuga byonna ebyaliko bbugwe, n’abawa eby’obugagga bingi, n’abafunira n’abakazi bangi.

Rehoboam Builds Cities for Fortification

11 (A)Then Rehoboam came to Jerusalem and assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who could wage war, to fight against Israel to return the kingdom to Rehoboam. But the word of Yahweh came to (B)Shemaiah the man of God, saying, “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “You shall not go up and fight against (C)your brothers; return every man to his house, (D)for this thing is from Me.”’” So they listened to the words of Yahweh and returned from going against Jeroboam.

Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and (E)built cities for fortifications in Judah. Thus he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin. 11 He also strengthened the fortresses and put officers in them and stores of food, oil and wine. 12 And he put large shields and spears in every city and strengthened them greatly. So he held Judah and Benjamin.

13 Moreover, the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him from all their territories.

Jeroboam Sets Up His Own Priests

14 For (F)the Levites left their pasture lands and their possession of land and went to Judah and Jerusalem, for (G)Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from ministering as priests to Yahweh— 15 (H)And he set up priests of his own for the high places, for the goat demons and for the calves which he had made— 16 (I)Now those from all the tribes of Israel who gave their hearts to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, [a]followed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to Yahweh, the God of their fathers. 17 (J)They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and gave courage to Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

Rehoboam’s Family

18 Then Rehoboam took as a wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David and of Abihail the daughter of (K)Eliab the son of Jesse, 19 and she bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 20 And after her he took (L)Maacah the daughter of [b]Absalom, and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and concubines. For (M)he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines and became the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. 22 (N)And Rehoboam set up Abijah the son of Maacah to be head and ruler among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. 23 And he acted with discernment and distributed [c]some of his sons through all the lands of Judah and Benjamin to all the fortified cities, and he gave them sustenance in abundance. And he sought a multitude of wives for them.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 11:16 Lit came after
  2. 2 Chronicles 11:20 In 1 Kin 15:2, Abishalom
  3. 2 Chronicles 11:23 Lit from all

11 And 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.

But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

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

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 of me. And they obeyed the words of the Lord, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

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

He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

And Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam,

And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

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

11 And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine.

12 And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.

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

14 For 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:

15 And he ordained him 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 him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;

19 Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.

20 And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare 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 begat 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 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.