¹⁷ But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them.

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

⁹ Then he assembled all Judah and Benjamin and the people from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who had settled among them, for large numbers^(A) had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.