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1 And Rehoboam came to Jerusalem; and he assembled Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand young men fit for war, and he waged war with Israel to recover the kingdom to Rehoboam. 2 And the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3 Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, and to all Judah and Benjamin, saying, 4 Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, and ye shall not war against your brethren: return every one to his home; for this thing is of me. And they hearkened to the word of the Lord, and returned from going against Jeroboam.
5 And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and he built walled cities in Judea. 6 And he built Bethlehem, and Etam and Tekoa, 7 and Beth-zur, and Soco, and Adullam, 8 and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph, 9 and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, 10 and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which belongs to Judah and Benjamin, walled cities. 11 And he fortified them with walls, and placed in them captains, and stores of provisions, oil and wine, 12 shields and spears in every several city, and he fortified them very strongly, and he had on his side Judah and Benjamin.
13 And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel were gathered to him out of all the coasts. 14 For the Levites left the tents of their possession, and went to Judah to Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had ejected them so that they should not minister to the Lord. 15 And he made for himself priests of the high places, and for the idols, and for the vanities, and for the calves which Jeroboam made. 16 And he cast out from the tribes of Israel those who set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel: and they came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers. 17 And they strengthened the kingdom of Judah; and Judah strengthened Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for he walked three years in the ways of David and Solomon.
18 And Rehoboam took to himself for a wife Mahalath daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and Abigail daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse. 19 And she bore him sons; Jeush, and Shemariah, and Zaham. 20 And afterward he took to himself Maacah the daughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and all his concubines: for he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines; and he begot twenty-eight sons, and sixty daughters. 22 And he made Abijah the son of Maacah chief, even a leader among his brethren, for he intended to make him king. 23 And he was exalted beyond all his other sons in all the coasts of Judah and Benjamin, and in the strong cities; and he gave them provisions in great abundance: and he desired many wives.