11:1 And Rehoboam came to Jerusalem; and he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men apt for war, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.

11:2 But the word of Jehovah came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

11:3 Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

11:4 Thus saith Jehovah: Go not up, nor fight with your brethren; return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. And they hearkened to the words of Jehovah, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

11:5 And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.

11:6 And he built Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

11:7 and Beth-zur, and Soco, and Adullam,

11:8 and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

11:9 and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

11:10 and Zorah, and Ajalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities.

11:11 And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of victuals, and of oil and wine;

11:12 and in every several city, targets and spears, and made them exceedingly strong. And Judah and Benjamin were his.

11:13 And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their districts;

11:14 for the Levites left their suburbs and their possessions, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from exercising the priesthood to Jehovah;

11:15 and he ordained for himself priests for the high places, and for the he-goats and for the calves that he had made.

11:16 -- And after them, those out of all the tribes of Israel that set their heart to se

11:17 And they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong three years; for during three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.

11:18 And Rehoboam took Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David as wife, [and of] Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse.

11:19 And she bore him children: Jeush, and Shemariah, and Zaham.

11:20 And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

11:21 And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines; for he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

11:22 And Rehoboam established Abijah the son of Maachah at the head, to be ruler among his brethren; for [he thought] to make him king.