2 Chronicles 11:5-12:8

New International Version

Rehoboam Fortifies Judah

⁵ Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built up towns for defense in Judah: ⁶ Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, ⁷ Beth Zur, Soko, Adullam, ⁸ Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, ⁹ Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, ¹⁰ Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron. These were fortified cities^(A) in Judah and Benjamin. ¹¹ He strengthened their defenses and put commanders in them, with supplies of food, olive oil and wine. ¹² He put shields and spears in all the cities, and made them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his.

¹³ The priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel sided with him. ¹⁴ The Levites^(B) even abandoned their pasturelands and property^(C) and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the Lord ¹⁵ when he appointed^(D) his own priests^(E) for the high places and for the goat^(F) and calf^(G) idols he had made. ¹⁶ Those from every tribe of Israel^(H) 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. ¹⁷ They strengthened^(I) the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon three years, following the ways of David and Solomon during this time.

Rehoboam’s Family

¹⁸ Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab. ¹⁹ She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham. ²⁰ Then he married Maakah^(J) daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah,^(K) Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. ²¹ Rehoboam loved Maakah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives^(L) and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

²² Rehoboam appointed Abijah^(M) son of Maakah as crown prince among his brothers, in order to make him king. ²³ He 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^(N) and took many wives for them.

Shishak Attacks Jerusalem^(O)

12 After Rehoboam’s position as king was established^(P) and he had become strong,^(Q) he and all Israel^[a](R) with him abandoned^(S) the law of the Lord. ² Because they had been unfaithful^(T) to the Lord, Shishak^(U) king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam. ³ With twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen and the innumerable troops of Libyans,^(V) Sukkites and Cushites^[b](W) that came with him from Egypt, ⁴ he captured the fortified cities^(X) of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

⁵ Then the prophet Shemaiah^(Y) came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the Lord says, ‘You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon^(Z) you to Shishak.’”

⁶ The leaders of Israel and the king humbled^(AA) themselves and said, “The Lord is just.”^(AB)

⁷ When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: “Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance.^(AC) My wrath^(AD) will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. ⁸ They will, however, become subject^(AE) to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands.”