11 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he ·gathered [summoned; mobilized; mustered] one hundred eighty thousand ·of the best [skilled; select] ·soldiers [warriors] from Judah and Benjamin. He wanted to fight Israel to ·take back [restore] his kingdom. 2 But the Lord spoke his word to Shemaiah, a man of God, saying, 3 “Speak to Solomon’s son Rehoboam, the king of Judah, and to all the Israelites living in Judah and Benjamin. Say to them, 4 ‘The Lord says you must not ·go to war against your brothers [fight against your relatives/kinsmen]. Every one of you should go home, because ·I made all these things happen [L this thing is from me].’” So they ·obeyed [listened to; heeded] the Lord’s ·command [words] and turned back and did not attack Jeroboam.
Rehoboam Makes Judah Strong
5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built ·strong [fortified] cities in Judah for defense. 6 He built up the cities of Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These were ·strong, walled [fortified] cities in Judah and Benjamin. 11 When Rehoboam ·made those cities strong [strengthened the fortresses/their defenses], he put ·commanders [officers] and ·supplies [stores] of food, oil, and wine in them. 12 Also, Rehoboam put shields and spears in all the cities and made them very strong. Rehoboam kept the people of Judah and Benjamin under his control.
13 The priests and the Levites from all over Israel ·joined [stood/sided with] Rehoboam. 14 The Levites even ·left [abandoned] their pasturelands and property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons ·refused to let them serve [rejected/excluded them from serving] as priests to the Lord. 15 Jeroboam ·chose [appointed] his own priests for the ·places of worship [L high places; C worship sites associated with pagan worship or inappropriate worship of God] and for the ·goat [goat-demon; satyr] and calf idols he had made. 16 There were people from all the tribes of Israel who ·wanted to obey [L set their hearts to seek] the Lord, the God of Israel. So they went to Jerusalem with the Levites to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their ·ancestors [fathers]. 17 These people made the kingdom of Judah strong, and they supported Solomon’s son Rehoboam for three years. During this time they ·lived [L walked in] the way ·David and Solomon had lived [of David and Solomon].
Rehoboam’s Family
18 Rehoboam married Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth and Abihail. Jerimoth was David’s son, and Abihail was the daughter of Eliab, Jesse’s son. 19 Mahalath ·gave [T bore] Rehoboam these sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 20 Then Rehoboam married Absalom’s daughter Maacah, and she ·gave [T bore] Rehoboam these children: Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 Rehoboam loved Maacah more than his other wives and ·slave women [concubines; C secondary wives]. Rehoboam had eighteen wives and sixty ·slave women [concubines] and was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
22 Rehoboam ·chose [appointed] Abijah son of Maacah to be ·the leader [head; C crown prince] of his own brothers, because he planned to make Abijah king [C his successor]. 23 Rehoboam acted wisely. He spread his sons through all the areas of Judah and Benjamin [C both giving them responsibilities and dispersing/diluting their power], sending them to every ·strong, walled [fortified] city. He gave plenty of supplies to his sons, and he also ·found wives [sought/acquired many wives] for them.