2 Chronicles Chapter 11

Shemaiah’s Prophecy

¹ When Rehoboam got to Jerusalem, he gathered 180,000 soldiers from Judah and Benjamin to fight Israel to restore the kingdom to himself. ² But a message from the LORD came to Shemaiah, the man of God,  

                  ³“Tell Rehoboam and all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, ⁴ ‘The LORD says, “Don’t fight your kin. Go back home. I’m going to let this happen.”’”

They listened to him and went back from attacking Jeroboam.

^5-10 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built fortified towns for defense in Judah and Benjamin: Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, ⁹ Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, ¹⁰ Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. ¹¹ He reinforced the fortresses and put officers in them along with stores of food, olive oil, and wine. ¹² He put shields and spears in every city and reinforced them greatly. He held onto Judah and Benjamin.                                                                                                                                           2 Ch 11:1-12

¹³ The priests and Levites throughout Israel stood with him from all their districts. ¹⁴ The Levites abandoned their pastures and property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had excluded them from serving as priests to the LORD. ¹⁵ He set up his own priests for the high places, satyrs, and calves he’d made. ¹⁶ People from all the tribes that set their hearts on looking to the LORD God of Israel, followed the priests and Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD God of their ancestors. ¹⁷ They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam for three years; they followed the way of David and Solomon.

Rehoboam’s Family

¹⁸ Then Rehoboam married Mahalath daughter of Jerimoth son of David and Abihail daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab. ¹⁹ She bore him Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. ²⁰ After her, he married Absalom’s daughter Maacah. She bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. ²¹ Rehoboam loved Maacah more than his other wives and concubines. He’d married 18 wives and 60 concubines and fathered 28 sons and 60 daughters. ²² He appointed Abijah as leader among his brothers because he intended to make him king. ²³ He acted wisely and distributed some of his sons throughout Judah and Benjamin in the fortified towns, and gave them food in abundance, and sought many wives for them.                2 Ch 11:13-23