Chapter 11. Now when rehoboam came to Jerusalem he Assembled from the house of Judah and Benjamin 180 000 chosen men who were warriors to Fight against Israel that he might Restore the kingdom to rehoboam But the word of the Lord came to shimaya The man of God saying Speak to rehoboam the son of Solomon King of Judah and to all Israel in Judah And Benjamin saying thus says the Lord You shall not go up or fight against Your brethren let every man return to His house for this thing is from me Therefore they obeyed the words of the Lord and turned back from attacking Jeroboam So rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem and built Cities for defense in Judah And he built Bethlehem Eaton takoa Beth Zur And Hebron which are in Judah and Benjamin fortified cities And he fortified the strongholds and put Captains in them And stores of food oil and wine Also in every city he put Shields and Spears and made them very strong having Judah and Benjamin on his side And from all their territories the Priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him For the Levites left their common lands
And their possessions and came to Judah And Jerusalem For jeroboam and his sons had rejected Them from serving as priests to the Lord Then he appointed for himself priests For the high places for the demons and The calf Idols which he had made And after the Levites left those from All the tribes of Israel such as set Their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel Came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and made rehoboom the son of Solomon strong for three years because They walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years Then rehoboam took for himself as wife Mahalaf the daughter of jeremoth the son Of David and of abahale the daughter of Ilayar the son of Jesse And she bore him children And zaham After her he took mayaka the Granddaughter of Absalom And she bore him abijah attai zaizer and Shalomith Now rehoboam loved mayaka the Granddaughter of Absalom more than all His wives and his concubines For he took 18 wives and 60 concubines And begot 28 sons and 60 daughters Andrea boam appointed abijah the son of
Mayaka as Chief to be leader among his Brothers For he intended to make him King He dealt wisely and dispersed some of His sons throughout all the territories Of Judah and Benjamin to every fortified City And he gave them Provisions in abundance He also sought many wives for them