When Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Binyamin1, one hundred eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam. 2But the Word of YAHWEH2 came to Shemaiah the man of God3, saying, 3“Speak to Rehoboam son of Sulayman4, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Binyamin, saying, 4‘Thus says YAHWEH, “You shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers: return every man to his house; for this thing is of me.”‘” So they listened to the words of YAHWEH, and returned from going against Jeroboam.
5Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah. 6He built Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, 7Beth Zur, and Soco, and Adullam, 8and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph, 9and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, 10and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Binyamin, fortified cities. 11He fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of food, and oil and wine. 12In every city he put shields and spears, and made them very strong. Judah and Binyamin belonged to him.
13The priests and the Levites who were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their territory. 14For the Levites left their pasture lands and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons cast them off, that they should not execute the priest’s office to YAHWEH. 15He himself appointed priests for the high places, and for the male goat and calf idols which he had made. 16After them, out of all the tribes of Israel, such as set their hearts to seek YAHWEH, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to YAHWEH, the God of their fathers. 17So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam son of Sulayman strong for three years. For they walked three years in the way of Dawud5 and Sulayman.
18Rehoboam took a wife, Mahalath daughter of Jerimoth son of Dawud, and of Abihail daughter of Eliab son of Jesse. 19She bore him sons: Jeush, and Shemariah, and Zaham. 20After her, he took Maacah daughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith. 21Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and sixty concubines, and became the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.) 22Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah to be chief, even the prince among his brothers; for he was minded to make him king. 23He dealt wisely, and dispersed some of his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Binyamin, to every fortified city: and he gave them food in abundance. He sought for them many wives.
- 11:`1 Binyamin, or Benjamin, derived from the Hebrew name Benyamin, meaning “Son of the right hand.” ↩︎
- 11:2 YAHWEH, God’s personal Name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15: ‘God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”’ ↩︎
- 11:2 God, English translation of elohim. Elohim (Hebrew) is related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎
- 11:2 Sulayman, this Arabic name and the name Solomon are both derived from the Hebrew name Shlomo which means “peace.” ↩︎
- 11:17 Dawud, this Arabic name is derived from David (Hebrew) and means “Beloved.” ↩︎