II Chronicles 11

וַיָּבֹ֣א רְחַבְעָם֮ יְרוּשָׁלַ֒͏ִם֒ וַיַּקְהֵל֩ אֶת־בֵּ֨ית יְהוּדָ֜ה וּבִנְיָמִ֗ן מֵאָ֨ה וּשְׁמוֹנִ֥ים אֶ֛לֶף בָּח֖וּר עֹשֵׂ֣ה מִלְחָמָ֑ה לְהִלָּחֵם֙ עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְהָשִׁ֥יב אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה לִרְחַבְעָֽם׃ {פ}

When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 of the best soldiers, to make war with Israel in order to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.

וַֽיְהִי֙ דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶל־שְׁמַעְיָ֥הוּ אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים לֵאמֹֽר׃

But the word of G OD came to Shemaiah, the agent of God:

אֱמֹ֕ר אֶל־רְחַבְעָ֥ם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה וְאֶל֙ כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בִּיהוּדָ֥ה וּבִנְיָמִ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃

“Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin:

כֹּ֣ה אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֡ה לֹא־תַעֲלוּ֩ וְלֹא־תִלָּ֨חֲמ֜וּ עִם־אֲחֵיכֶ֗ם שׁ֚וּבוּ אִ֣ישׁ לְבֵית֔וֹ כִּ֧י מֵאִתִּ֛י נִֽהְיָ֖ה הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וַֽיִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ מִלֶּ֥כֶת אֶל־יָרׇבְעָֽם׃ {פ}

Thus said G OD : You shall not set out to make war on your kin. Return to your homes, for this thing has been brought about by Me.” They heeded G OD ’s words and refrained from marching against Jeroboam.

וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב רְחַבְעָ֖ם בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וַיִּ֧בֶן עָרִ֛ים לְמָצ֖וֹר בִּיהוּדָֽה׃

Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem and built fortified towns in Judah.

וַיִּ֧בֶן אֶת־בֵּֽית־לֶ֛חֶם וְאֶת־עֵיטָ֖ם וְאֶת־תְּקֽוֹעַ׃

He built up Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

וְאֶת־בֵּֽית־צ֥וּר וְאֶת־שׂוֹכ֖וֹ וְאֶת־עֲדֻלָּֽם׃

and Beth-zur, and Soco, and Adullam,

וְאֶת־גַּ֥ת וְאֶת־מָרֵשָׁ֖ה וְאֶת־זִֽיף׃

and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

וְאֶת־אֲדוֹרַ֥יִם וְאֶת־לָכִ֖ישׁ וְאֶת־עֲזֵקָֽה׃

and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

וְאֶת־צׇרְעָה֙ וְאֶת־אַיָּל֔וֹן וְאֶ֨ת־חֶבְר֔וֹן אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּֽיהוּדָ֖ה וּבְבִנְיָמִ֑ן עָרֵ֖י מְצֻרֽוֹת׃

and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, as fortified towns.

וַיְחַזֵּ֖ק אֶת־הַמְּצוּר֑וֹת וַיִּתֵּ֤ן בָּהֶם֙ נְגִידִ֔ים וְאֹצְר֥וֹת מַאֲכָ֖ל וְשֶׁ֥מֶן וָיָֽיִן׃

He strengthened the fortified towns and put commanders in them, along with stores of food, oil, and wine,

וּבְכׇל־עִ֤יר וָעִיר֙ צִנּ֣וֹת וּרְמָחִ֔ים וַֽיְחַזְּקֵ֖ם לְהַרְבֵּ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד וַֽיְהִי־ל֖וֹ יְהוּדָ֥ה וּבִנְיָמִֽן׃ {ס}

and shields and spears in every town. He strengthened them exceedingly; thus Judah and Benjamin were his.

וְהַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ וְהַלְוִיִּ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּכׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הִֽתְיַצְּב֥וּ עָלָ֖יו מִכׇּל־גְּבוּלָֽם׃

The priests and the Levites, from all their territories throughout Israel, presented themselves to him.

כִּֽי־עָזְב֣וּ הַלְוִיִּ֗ם אֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶם֙ וַאֲחֻזָּתָ֔ם וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ לִֽיהוּדָ֖ה וְלִירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם כִּֽי־הִזְנִיחָ֤ם יָֽרׇבְעָם֙ וּבָנָ֔יו מִכַּהֵ֖ן לַיהֹוָֽה׃

The Levites had left their pasturelands and their holdings and had set out for Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had prevented them from serving G OD ,

וַיַּֽעֲמֶד־לוֹ֙ כֹּֽהֲנִ֔ים לַבָּמ֖וֹת וְלַשְּׂעִירִ֑ים וְלָעֲגָלִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה׃

having appointed his own priests for the shrines, goat-demons, and calves that he had made.

וְאַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֗ם מִכֹּל֙ שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַנֹּֽתְנִים֙ אֶת־לְבָבָ֔ם לְבַקֵּ֕שׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בָּ֚אוּ יְר֣וּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם לִזְבּ֕וֹחַ לַֽיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃

From all the tribes of Israel, those intent on seeking the E TERNAL God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the E TERNAL God of their ancestors.

וַֽיְחַזְּקוּ֙ אֶת־מַלְכ֣וּת יְהוּדָ֔ה וַֽיְאַמְּצ֛וּ אֶת־רְחַבְעָ֥ם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לְשָׁנִ֣ים שָׁל֑וֹשׁ כִּ֣י הָלְכ֗וּ בְּדֶ֧רֶךְ דָּוִ֛יד וּשְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לְשָׁנִ֥ים שָׁלֽוֹשׁ׃

They strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, for they followed the ways of David and Solomon for three years.

וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ל֤וֹ רְחַבְעָם֙ אִשָּׁ֔ה אֶת־מָ֣חֲלַ֔ת (בן) [בַּת־]יְרִימ֖וֹת בֶּן־דָּוִ֑יד אֲבִיהַ֕יִל בַּת־אֱלִיאָ֖ב בֶּן־יִשָֽׁי׃

Rehoboam married Mahalath daughter of Jerimoth son of David, and Abihail daughter of Eliab son of Jesse.

וַתֵּ֥לֶד ל֖וֹ בָּנִ֑ים אֶת־יְע֥וּשׁ וְאֶת־שְׁמַרְיָ֖ה וְאֶת־זָֽהַם׃

She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

וְאַחֲרֶ֣יהָ לָקַ֔ח אֶֽת־מַעֲכָ֖ה בַּת־אַבְשָׁל֑וֹם וַתֵּ֣לֶד ל֗וֹ אֶת־אֲבִיָּה֙ וְאֶת־עַתַּ֔י וְאֶת־זִיזָ֖א וְאֶת־שְׁלֹמִֽית׃

He then took Maacah daughter of Absalom; she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.

וַיֶּאֱהַ֨ב רְחַבְעָ֜ם אֶת־מַעֲכָ֣ה בַת־אַבְשָׁל֗וֹם מִכׇּל־נָשָׁיו֙ וּפִ֣ילַגְשָׁ֔יו כִּ֠י נָשִׁ֤ים שְׁמוֹנֶֽה־עֶשְׂרֵה֙ נָשָׂ֔א וּפִֽילַגְשִׁ֖ים שִׁשִּׁ֑ים וַיּ֗וֹלֶד עֶשְׂרִ֧ים וּשְׁמוֹנָ֛ה בָּנִ֖ים וְשִׁשִּׁ֥ים בָּנֽוֹת׃

Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than his other wives and concubines—for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines; he begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

וַיַּעֲמֵ֨ד לָרֹ֧אשׁ רְחַבְעָ֛ם אֶת־אֲבִיָּ֥ה בֶֽן־מַעֲכָ֖ה לְנָגִ֣יד בְּאֶחָ֑יו כִּ֖י לְהַמְלִיכֽוֹ׃

Rehoboam designated Abijah son of Maacah as chief and leader among his brothers, for he intended him to be his successor.

וַיָּ֩בֶן֩ וַיִּפְרֹ֨ץ מִכׇּל־בָּנָ֜יו לְֽכׇל־אַרְצ֧וֹת יְהוּדָ֣ה וּבִנְיָמִ֗ן לְכֹל֙ עָרֵ֣י הַמְּצֻר֔וֹת וַיִּתֵּ֥ן לָהֶ֛ם הַמָּז֖וֹן לָרֹ֑ב וַיִּשְׁאַ֖ל הֲמ֥וֹן נָשִֽׁים׃

He prudently distributed all his sons throughout the regions of Judah and Benjamin and throughout the fortified towns; he provided them with abundant food, and he sought many wives for them.