1And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam. 2But the word of LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, 4Thus says LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers. Return every man to his house. For this thing is of me. So they hearkened to the words of LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam. 5And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah. 6He built Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, 7And Beth-zur, and Soco, and Adullam, 8and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph, 9and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, 10and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities. 11And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of victuals, and oil and wine. 12And in every city [he put] shields and spears, and made them exceedingly strong. And Judah and Benjamin belonged to him. 13And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their border. 14For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem. For Jeroboam and his sons cast them off, that they should not execute the priest's office to LORD. 15And he appointed priests for him for the high places, and for the he-goats, and for the calves which he had made. 16And after them, such as set their hearts to seek LORD, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem out of all the tribes of Israel to sacrifice to LORD, the God of their fathers. 17So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong three years. For they walked three years in the way of David and Solomon. 18And Rehoboam took him a wife, Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, [and of] Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse. 19And she bore sons for him: Jeush, and Shemariah, and Zaham. 20And after her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom. And she bore for him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith. 21And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines. For he took eighteen wives, and thirty concubines, and begot twenty-eight sons and thirty daughters. 22And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah to be chief, the ruler among his brothers. For [he intended] to make him king. 23And he dealt wisely, and dispersed all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city. And he gave them provisions in abundance. And he sought [for them] many wives.