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Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he assembled a hundred and eighty thousand fighting men from the house of Judah and the house of Benjamin to fight against Israel and regain the kingdom again for Rehoboam.
2 But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God: 3 “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, say, 4 ‘This is what the Lord says: "You must not go up to fight against your brothers. Every of you is to return to his house, for this incident has come from Me” ’.” So they obeyed the words of the Lord, and turned back from marching against Jeroboam.
5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and he built cities for defence in Judah. 6 He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin. 11 He strengthened their fortifications and put commanders in them with supplies of food, olive oil, and wine. 12 He also put spears and shields in all the cities, and made them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his.
13 The priests and the Levites from all their districts throughout Israel sided with Rehoboam. 14 The Levites left their pasturelands and their possessions and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons refused to allow them to serve as priests to the Lord. 15 He appointed his own priests for the high places, for the goat-demons, and for the calf idols he had made. 16 Those from every tribe of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the Lord, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their fathers. 17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and for three years supported Rehoboam son of Solomon, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
18 Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth son of David and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab. 19 She bore him sons: Jehush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 20 After her he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines; for he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as the chief prince among his brothers, for he intended to make Abijah king. 23 He acted wisely, for he dispersed some of his sons throughout the districts across Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and took many wives for them.