1 Forsooth Rehoboam came into Jerusalem, and he called together all the house of Judah and of Benjamin, unto ninescore thousand of chosen men and warriors, for to fight against Israel, and for to turn again his realm to him.

2 And the word of the Lord was made to Shemaiah, the man of God, and said,

3 Speak thou to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel, which is in Judah and Benjamin;

4 The Lord saith these things, Ye shall not go up, neither ye shall fight against your brethren; each man turn again to his house, for this thing is done by my will. And when they had heard the word of the Lord, they turned again, and went not against king Jeroboam.

5 And Rehoboam dwelled in Jeru-salem, and he builded walled cities in Judah;

6 and he builded Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

7 and Bethzur; and Shoco, and Adullam;

8 also and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph;

9 but also Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah;

10 and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which were in Judah and Benjamin, full strong cities.

11 And when he had enclosed those [or them] with walls, he set [or put] princes in them, and barns of meats, that is, of oil, and of wine.

12 But also in each city he made places of armours of shields, and spears, and he made those [or them] strong with most diligence; and he reigned on Judah and Benjamin.

13 And the priests and the deacons [or Levites], that were in all Israel, came to Rehoboam from all their cities,

14 and they forsook their suburbs and their possessions, and they passed into Judah and to Jerusalem; for Jeroboam and his after-comers had cast them away, that they should not be set in the priesthood of the Lord;

15 the which Jeroboam made to him-[self] priests of high places, and of fiends, and of calves, which he had made.

16 But also of all the lineages of Israel, whichever gave their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel, they came to Jerusalem for to offer their sacrifices before the Lord God of their fathers.

17 And they strengthened the realm of Judah, and strengthened Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, by three years; for they went in the ways of David, and of Solomon, only by three years.

18 Forsooth Rehoboam wedded a wife, Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, the son of David, and of Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, the son of Jesse;

19 and she childed to him sons, Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.

20 Also after this wife he took Maachah, the daughter of Absalom, and she childed to him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

21 And Rehoboam loved Maachah, the daughter of Absalom, above all his wives and his secondary wives. And he had wedded eighteen wives, and he had sixty secondary wives; and he begat eight and twenty sons, and sixty daughters.

22 And he ordained Abijah, the son of Maachah, the head, duke over all his brethren; for he thought to make Abijah king,

23 for he was wiser and mightier over all his sons; and in all the coasts of Judah and of Benjamin, and in all the walled cities, he set his sons; and he gave to them full many meats, and he had many wives or he took to them many wives.