1 A1 Kin 12:21-24Now when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. 2 But the word of the Loʀᴅ came to A2 Chr 12:5-7, 15Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, 4 ‘Thus says the Loʀᴅ, “You shall not go up or fight against A2 Chr 28:8-11your 1Lit brothersrelatives; return every man to his house, B2 Chr 10:15for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” So they listened to the words of the Loʀᴅ and returned from going against Jeroboam.

5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and A2 Chr 8:2-6; 11:23built cities for defense in Judah. 6 Thus he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 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 He put 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 stood with him from all their districts.

14 For ANum 35:2-5the Levites left their pasture lands and their property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for B1 Kin 12:28-33; 2 Chr 13:9Jeroboam and his sons had excluded them from serving as priests to the Loʀᴅ. 15 A1 Kin 12:31; 13:33He set up priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs and for the calves which he had made. 16 A2 Chr 15:9Those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the Loʀᴅ God of Israel 1Lit came afterfollowed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the Loʀᴅ God of their fathers. 17 A2 Chr 12:1They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

18 Then Rehoboam took as a wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David and of Abihail the daughter of A1 Sam 16:6Eliab the son of Jesse, 19 and she bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham. 20 After her he took A1 Kin 15:2; 2 Chr 13:2Maacah the daughter of 1In 1 Kin 15:2, AbishalomAbsalom, and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. 21 Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and concubines. For ADeut 17:17he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. 22 ADeut 21:15-17Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah as head and leader among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. 23 He acted wisely and distributed 1Lit from allsome of his sons through all the territories of Judah and Benjamin to all the fortified cities, and he gave them food in abundance. And he sought many wives for them.