1And when Reḥaḇ‛am came to Yerushalayim, he assembled from the house of Yehuḏah and Binyamin one hundred and eighty thousand chosen brave men to fight against Yisra’ĕl, to bring back the reign to Reḥaḇ‛am.

2But the word of יהוה came to Shemayahu the man of Elohim, saying,

3“Speak to Reḥaḇ‛am son of Shelomoh, sovereign of Yehuḏah, and to all Yisra’ĕl in Yehuḏah and Binyamin, saying,

4‘Thus said יהוה, “Do not go up or fight against your brothers! Let every man return to his house, for this matter is from Me.” ’ ” So they obeyed the words of יהוה, and turned back from going against Yaroḇ‛am.

5And Reḥaḇ‛am dwelt in Yerushalayim, and built cities for a defence in Yehuḏah.

6And he built Bĕyth Leḥem, and Ěytam, and Teqowa,

7and Bĕyth Tsur, and Soḵo, and Aḏullam,

8and Gath, and Marĕshah, and Ziph,

9and Aḏorayim, and Laḵish, and Azĕqah,

10and Tsor‛ah, and Ayalon, and Ḥeḇron, which are in Yehuḏah and Binyamin, cities of defence.

11And he strengthened the strongholds, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, and oil, and wine,

12and shields and spears in every city, and made them very strong. Thus Yehuḏah and Binyamin were his.

13And from all their borders the priests and the Lĕwites who were in all Yisra’ĕl took their stand with him.

14For the Lĕwites left their open lands and their possessions and came to Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim, for Yaroḇ‛am and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests unto יהוה,

15as he appointed for himself priests for the high places, and for goats, and the calf idols which he had made.

16And after the Lĕwites left, those from all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, such as set their heart to seek יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, came to Yerushalayim to offer to יהוה Elohim of their fathers.

17And they strengthened the reign of Yehuḏah, and made Reḥaḇ‛am son of Shelomoh strong for three years, for they walked in the way of Dawiḏ and Shelomoh for three years.

18And Reḥaḇ‛am took for himself as wife Maḥalath the daughter of Yerimoth son of Dawiḏ, and of Aḇiḥayil the daughter of Eliyaḇ son of Yishai.

19And she bore him sons: Ye‛ush, and Shemaryah, and Zaham.

20And after her he took Ma‛aḵah the granddaughter of Aḇshalom. And she bore him Aḇiyah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

21And Reḥaḇ‛am loved Ma‛aḵah the granddaughter of Aḇshalom more than all his wives and his concubines. For he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and brought forth twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

22And Reḥaḇ‛am appointed Aḇiyah son of Ma‛aḵah as chief, to be leader among his brothers, in order to make him reign.

23And he had understanding, and dispersed some of his sons throughout all the lands of Yehuḏah and Binyamin, to all the cities of defence, and gave them ample provision. And he sought many wives for them.