| New American Standard Bible 1995 | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Now 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. | 1When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the house of Judah and Benjamin—180,000 chosen warriors—to fight against Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. |
| 2But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, | 2But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God: |
| 3"Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, | 3“Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin |
| 4'Thus says the LORD, "You shall not go up or fight against your relatives; return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me."'" So they listened to the words of the LORD and returned from going against Jeroboam. | 4that this is what the LORD says: ‘You are not to go up and fight against your brothers. Each of you must return home, for this word is from Me.’ ” So they listened to the words of the LORD and turned back from going against Jeroboam. |
| 5Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built cities for defense in Judah. | 5Rehoboam continued to live in Jerusalem, and he built up cities for defense in Judah. |
| 6Thus he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, | 6He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, |
| 7Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, | 7Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, |
| 8Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, | 8Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, |
| 9Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, | 9Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, |
| 10Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin. | 10Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. |
| 11He also strengthened the fortresses and put officers in them and stores of food, oil and wine. | 11He strengthened their fortresses and put officers in them, with supplies of food, oil, and wine. |
| 12He put shields and spears in every city and strengthened them greatly. So he held Judah and Benjamin. | 12He also put shields and spears in all the cities and strengthened them greatly. So Judah and Benjamin belonged to him. |
| 13Moreover, the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel stood with him from all their districts. | 13Moreover, the priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel stood with Rehoboam. |
| 14For the Levites left their pasture lands and their property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had excluded them from serving as priests to the LORD. | 14For the Levites left their pasturelands and their possessions and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD. |
| 15He set up priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs and for the calves which he had made. | 15And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made. |
| 16Those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers. | 16Those from every tribe of Israel who had set their hearts to seek the LORD their God followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers. |
| 17They 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. | 17So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, because they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon. |
| 18Then Rehoboam took as a wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse, | 18And Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab. |
| 19and she bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham. | 19She bore sons to him: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. |
| 20After her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom, and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. | 20After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. |
| 21Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and concubines. For he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. | 21Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. |
| 22Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah as head and leader among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. | 22Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, intending to make him king. |
| 23He acted wisely and distributed some 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. | 23Rehoboam also acted wisely by dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and sought many wives for them. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. |
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