2 Tawarikh 11:1-17

11:1 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he summoned 180,000 skilled warriors from Judah and Benjamin ¹  to attack Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. 11:2 But the Lord told Shemaiah the prophet, ²  11:3 “Say this to King Rehoboam son of Solomon of Judah and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin, 11:4 ‘The Lord says this: “Do not attack and make war with your brothers. Each of you go home, for I have caused this to happen.”’” ³  They obeyed the Lord and called off the attack against Jeroboam. ⁴ 

Rehoboam’s Reign

11:5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem; ⁵  he built up these fortified cities throughout Judah: 11:6 Bethlehem, ⁶  Etam, Tekoa, 11:7 Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam, 11:8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 11:9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 11:10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These were the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. 11:11 He fortified these cities and placed officers in them, as well as storehouses of food, olive oil, and wine. 11:12 In each city there were shields and spears; he strongly fortified them. ⁷  Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.

11:13 The priests and Levites who lived throughout Israel supported him, no matter where they resided. ⁸  11:14 The Levites even left their pasturelands and their property behind and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons prohibited them from serving as the Lord’s priests. 11:15 Jeroboam ⁹  appointed his own priests to serve at the worship centers ¹⁰  and to lead in the worship of the goat idols and calf idols he had made. ¹¹  11:16 Those among all the Israelite tribes who were determined to worship the Lord God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem ¹²  to sacrifice to the Lord God of their ancestors. ¹³  11:17 They supported ¹⁴  the kingdom of Judah and were loyal to ¹⁵  Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years; they followed the edicts of ¹⁶  David and Solomon for three years.

[11:1]  ¹ tn Heb “he summoned the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men, accomplished in war.”

[11:2]  ² tn Heb “and the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying.”

[11:4]  ³ tn Heb “for his thing is from me.”

[11:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “and they heard the words of the Lord and returned from going against Jeroboam.”

[11:5]  ⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:6]  ⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[11:12]  ⁷ tn Heb “he strengthened them greatly, very much.”

[11:13]  ⁸ tn Heb “and the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel supported him from all their territory.”

[11:15]  ⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jeroboam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:15]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “for the high places.”

[11:15]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and for the goats and for the calves he had made.”

[11:16]  ¹² tn Heb “and after them from all the tribes of Israel, the ones giving their heart[s] to seek the Lord God of Israel came [to] Jerusalem.”

[11:16]  ¹³ tn Heb “fathers.”

[11:17]  ¹⁴ tn Or “strengthened.”

[11:17]  ¹⁵ tn Or “strengthened.”

[11:17]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “they walked in the way of.”