Historical
11 And when Rechav’am was come to Yerushalayim, he gathered of the Bais Yehudah and Binyamin a hundred and fourscore thousand bachur oseh milchamah (chosen men, which were warriors), to make war against Yisroel, that he might restore the mamlachah to Rechav’am.
2 But the Devar Hashem came to Shemayah the Ish HaElohim, saying,
3 Speak unto Rechav’am ben Sh’lomo Melech Yehudah, and to kol Yisroel in Yehudah and Binyamin, saying,
4 Thus saith Hashem, Ye shall not go up, nor make war against your achim. Shuvu (return) every ish to his bais, for this thing is done from Me. And they obeyed the divrei Hashem, and returned back from going against Yarov’am.
5 And Rechav’am dwelt in Yerushalayim, and built arim lematzor (cities for defense) in Yehudah.
6 He built even Beit-Lechem, and Eitam, and Tekoa,
7 Bei-Tzur, Socho, Adulam,
8 Gat, Mareshah, Ziph,
9 And Adorayim, and Lachish, and Azekah,
10 And Tzorah, and Ayalon, and Chevron, which are in Yehudah and in Binyamin arei metzurot (fortified cities).
11 And he fortified the metzurot (fortifications), and put negidim (rulers) in them, and otzerot ma’achal (storage places of food), and of shemen and yayin.
12 And in all the cities he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Yehudah and Binyamin on his side.
13 And the Kohanim and the Levi’im that were in kol Yisroel availed themselves to him from all their territories.
14 For the Levi’im abandoned their commonlands and their achuzzah (possession, estate) and came to Yehudah and Yerushalayim; for Yarov’am and his banim had cast them off from executing the office of Kohen unto Hashem.
15 And he ordained him kohanim for the high places, and for the se’irim (goat idols, demons) and for the agalim (calf idols) which he had made.
16 And after them from all the Shivtei Yisroel such as set their hearts to seek Hashem Elohei Yisroel came to Yerushalayim, to sacrifice unto Hashem Elohei Avoteihem.
17 So they strengthened the Malchut Yehudah, and made Rechav’am ben Sh’lomo strong, shanim shalosh. For shanim shalosh they walked in the Derech Dovid u’Sh’lomo.
18 And Rechav’am took him Machalat bat Yerimot Ben Dovid as isha, and Avichayil bat Eliav ben Yishai,
19 Which bore him banim: Yeush, and Shemaryah, and Zaham.
20 And after her he took Ma’achah bat Avshalom, who bore him Aviyah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shlomit.
21 And Rechav’am loved Ma’achah bat Avshalom more than any of his nashim and his pilagshim; (for he took eighteen nashim, and threescore pilagshim, and fathered twenty and eight banim, and threescore banot.)
22 And Rechav’am made Aviyah ben Ma’achah the rosh, to be nagid among his achim, for he intended to make him melech.
23 And he acted wisely, and dispersed kol banim of him throughout all the lands of Yehudah and Binyamin, unto all of the arei hametzurot (fortified cities); and he gave them mazon (provision, food) in abundance. And he took for them many wives.
12 And it came to pass, when Rechav’am had established the malchut, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the Torat Hashem, and kol Yisroel with him.
2 And it came to pass, that in the shanah hachamishit of Melech Rechav’am Shishak Melech Mitzrayim came up against Yerushalayim, because they were unfaithful to Hashem,
3 With 1200 chariots, and 60,000 parashim, and troops without number that came with him out of Mitzrayim, the Luvim, the Sukkiim, and the Cushim.
4 And he captured the arei hametzurot (fortified cities) which are of Yehudah, and came as far as Yerushalayim.
5 Then came Shemayah HaNavi to Rechav’am, and to the Sarim of Yehudah, that were assembled in Yerushalayim because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith Hashem, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also abandoned you in the yad Shishak.
6 Whereupon the Sarim (princes) of Yisroel and HaMelech humbled themselves; and they said, Tzaddik Hashem.
7 And when Hashem saw that they humbled themselves, the Devar Hashem came to Shemayah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some peleitah (deliverance, rescue); and My chamah (anger, wrath) shall not be poured out upon Yerushalayim by the yad Shishak.
8 Nevertheless they shall be his avadim; that they may differentiate My avodah, and the avodat mamlechut of the lands.
9 So Shishak Melech Mitzrayim came up against Yerushalayim, and carried away the otzerot of the Beis Hashem, and the otzerot Bais HaMelech. He took all; he carried away also the moginei hazahav (shields of gold) which Sh’lomo had made.
10 Instead of which HaMelech Rechav’am made moginei nechoshet, and committed them to the hands of the commanders of the guard, the Shomrim who kept the Petach Bais Hamelech.
11 And as often as HaMelech entered into the Beis Hashem, the guard came and got the shields, and afterward brought them again into the guardroom.
12 And when he humbled himself, the Af Hashem turned from him, that He would not destroy him altogether; and also in Yehudah things went well.
13 So HaMelech Rechav’am strengthened himself in Yerushalayim, and reigned; for Rechav’am was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Yerushalayim, HaIr that Hashem had chosen out of all the Shivtei Yisroel, to put Shmo there. And the shem immo was Na’amah HaAmmonit.
14 And he did rah, because he set not his lev to seek Hashem.
15 Now the acts of Rechav’am, harishonim and ha’acharonim, are they not written in the Divrei Shemayah HaNavi, and of Iddo HaChozer with genealogies? And there were milchamot between Rechav’am and Yarov’am continually.
16 And Rechav’am slept with Avotav, and was buried in Ir Dovid; and Aviyah bno reigned in his place.
13 Now in the eighteenth year of Melech Yarov’am began Aviyah to reign over Yehudah.
2 He reigned 3 shanim in Yerushalayim. And the shem immo was Michayah bat Uriel of Giveah. And there was milchamah between Aviyah and Yarov’am.
3 And Aviyah led the milchamah with an army of gibborei milchamah, even 400 elef ish bachur. Yarov’am also drew up for milchamah against him with 800 elef ish bachur, gibbor chayil.
4 And Aviyah stood up upon Mt Tzemarayim, which is in the hill country of Ephrayim, and said, Hear me, thou Yarov’am, and kol Yisroel.
5 Ought ye not to know that Hashem Elohei Yisroel gave the Mamlachah over Yisroel to Dovid l’olam (forever), even to him and to his banim by a Brit Melach [see Num 18:19]?
6 Yet Yarov’am ben Nevat eved Sh’lomo ben Dovid is risen up, and hath rebelled against Adonav.
7 And there are gathered unto him anashim rekim, the Bnei Beliyaal, and have strengthened themselves against Rechav’am ben Sh’lomo, when Rechav’am was na’ar and rakh levav (fainthearted), and could not withstand them.
8 And now ye think to withstand the Mamlechet Hashem in the yad Bnei Dovid; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you eglei zahav, which Yarov’am made you for elohim.
9 Have ye not cast out the Kohanim of Hashem, the Bnei Aharon, and the Levi’im, and have made you kohanim after the manner of the peoples of other lands? So whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bull and 7 rams, the same may be a kohen of them that are no elohim.
10 But as for us, Hashem is Eloheinu, and we have not forsaken Him, and the Kohanim, mesharetim unto Hashem, are the Bnei Aharon, and the Levi’im do their work;
11 And they burn unto Hashem baboker baboker and baerev baerev olot and ketoret sammim; the array of lechem is also set in order upon the shulchan hatahor; and the menorah hazahav with the nerot thereof is lit erev ba’erev, for we are the Shomrim of the Mishmeret Hashem Eloheinu; but ye have forsaken Him.
12 And, hinei, HaElohim Himself is with us as Rosh, and His Kohanim have their chatzotzerot to sound the alarm against you. O Bnei Yisroel, fight ye not against Hashem Elohei Avoteichem; for ye shall not prosper.
13 But Yarov’am caused a ma’arav to come about behind them so that they were before Yehudah, and the ma’arav was behind them.
14 And when Yehudah turned, hinei, the milchamah was before and behind, and they cried unto Hashem, and the Kohanim sounded the battle trumpets.
15 Then the Ish Yehudah gave a shout, and as the Ish Yehudah shouted, it came to pass, that HaElohim routed Yarov’am and kol Yisroel before Aviyah and Yehudah.
16 And the Bnei Yisroel fled before Yehudah, and Elohim delivered them into their yad.
17 And Aviyah and his army slaughtered them with a makkah rabbah (great slaughter); so there fell down slain of Yisroel five hundred thousand ish bachur.
18 Thus the Bnei Yisroel were subdued at that time, and the Bnei Yehudah prevailed, because they relied upon Hashem Elohei Avoteihem.
19 And Aviyah pursued after Yarov’am, and took cities from him: Beit-El with the towns thereof, and Yeshanah with the villages thereof, and Ephrayim with the villages thereof.
20 Neither did Yarov’am recover ko’ach again in the days of Aviyah; and Hashem struck him, and he died.
21 But Aviyah grew strong, and married fourteen nashim, and fathered twenty and two banim, and sixteen banot.
22 And the rest of the acts of Aviyah, and his deeds, and his words, are written in the Midrash HaNavi Iddo.
14 (13:23) So Aviyah slept with Avotav, and they buried him in Ir Dovid, and Asa bno reigned in his place. In his days HaAretz was at peace eser shanim.
2 (14:1) And Asa did that which was hatov and yashar in the eyes of Hashem Elohav;
3 (14:2) For he took away the mizbechot hanekhar (foreign altars), and the high places, and smashed the matzevot, and cut down the Asherim;
4 (14:3) And commanded Yehudah to seek Hashem Elohei Avoteihem, and to observe the Torah and the Mitzvah.
5 (14:4) Also he took away out of all the towns of Yehudah the high places and the chammanim (sun-pillar idols); and the mamlachah was at peace under him.
6 (14:5) And he built arei metzurah in Yehudah; for HaAretz was at peace, and he had no milchanah in those years, because Hashem had given him rest.
7 (14:6) Therefore he said unto Yehudah, Let us build up these cities, and make about them chomah, and migdalim, gates, and bars. HaAretz is yet before us, because we have sought Hashem Eloheinu, we have sought Him, and He hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.
8 (14:7) And Asa had an army of men that bore shields and spears, out of Yehudah three hundred thousand; and out of Binyamin, that bore mogen and drew keshet (bow), two hundred and fourscore elef; all these were gibborei chayil.
9 (14:8) And there came out against them Zerach HaCushi with a host of elef alafim, and three hundred merkavot; and came as far as Mareshah.
10 (14:9) Then Asa went out against him, and they took up position for the milchamah in the valley of Zephatah at Mareshah.
11 (14:10) And Asa cried unto Hashem Elohav, and said, Hashem, there is none besides Thee to help, whether with rav, or with them that have no ko’ach. Help us, Hashem Eloheinu, for we rely on Thee; in Shimecha we go against this multitude. Hashem Thou art Eloheinu; let no enosh prevail against Thee.
12 (14:11) So Hashem struck down HaCushim before Asa, and before Yehudah, and HaCushim fled.
13 (14:12) And Asa and HaAm that were with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and HaCushim fell, until they could not survive, for they were crushed before Hashem, and before His Machaneh. They carried off very much plunder.
14 (14:13) And they destroyed all the towns around Gerar; for the Pachad Hashem fell upon them, and they plundered all the towns, for there was exceeding much booty in them.
15 (14:14) They attacked also the ohalim of herdsmen, and carried off tzon and gemalim in abundance, and returned to Yerushalayim.
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