| New International Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered Judah and Benjamin--a hundred and eighty thousand able young men--to go to war against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam. | 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. |
| 2But this word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God: | 2But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, |
| 3"Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, | 3"Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, |
| 4This is what the LORD says: Do not go up to fight against your fellow Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.'" So they obeyed the words of the LORD and turned back from marching against Jeroboam. | 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. |
| 5Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built up towns for defense in Judah: | 5Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built cities for defense in Judah. |
| 6Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, | 6Thus he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, |
| 7Beth Zur, Soko, Adullam, | 7Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, |
| 8Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, | 8Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, |
| 9Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, | 9Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, |
| 10Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron. These were fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. | 10Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin. |
| 11He strengthened their defenses and put commanders in them, with supplies of food, olive oil and wine. | 11He also strengthened the fortresses and put officers in them and stores of food, oil and wine. |
| 12He put shields and spears in all the cities, and made them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his. | 12He put shields and spears in every city and strengthened them greatly. So he held Judah and Benjamin. |
| 13The priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel sided with him. | 13Moreover, the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel stood with him from all their districts. |
| 14The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD | 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. |
| 15when he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat and calf idols he had made. | 15He set up priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs and for the calves which he had made. |
| 16Those from every tribe of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the LORD, the God of their ancestors. | 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. |
| 17They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon three years, following the ways of David and Solomon during this time. | 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. |
| 18Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David's son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse's son Eliab. | 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, |
| 19She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham. | 19and she bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham. |
| 20Then he married Maakah daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. | 20After her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom, and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. |
| 21Rehoboam loved Maakah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. | 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. |
| 22Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maakah as crown prince among his brothers, in order to make him king. | 22Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah as head and leader among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. |
| 23He acted wisely, dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and took many wives for them. | 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. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | 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 |
|
