Shemaiah the Prophet Warns Rehoboam
(1 Kings 12.21-24)1 After Rehoboam returned to Jerusalem, he decided to attack Israel and regain control of the whole country. So he called together 180,000 soldiers from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
2 Meanwhile, the Lord had told Shemaiah the prophet 3 to tell Rehoboam and everyone from Judah and Benjamin, 4 “The Lord warns you not to go to war against the people from the northern tribes—they are your relatives. Go home! The Lord is the one who made these things happen.”
Rehoboam and his army obeyed the Lord's message and did not attack Jeroboam and his troops.
Rehoboam Fortifies Cities in Judah
5 Rehoboam ruled from Jerusalem, and he had several cities in Judah turned into fortresses so he could use them to defend his country. These cities included 6 Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth-Zur, Soco, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. After he had fortified these cities in the territories of Judah and Benjamin, 11 he assigned an army commander to each of them and stocked them with supplies of food, olive oil, and wine, 12 as well as with shields and spears. He used these fortified cities to keep control of Judah and Benjamin.
The Priests and the Levites Support Rehoboam
13 The priests and Levites from the northern tribes of Israel gave their support to King Rehoboam. 14 And since Jeroboam and the kings of Israel that followed him would not allow any Levites to serve as priests, most Levites left their towns and pasturelands in Israel and moved to Jerusalem and other towns in Judah. 15 Jeroboam chose his own priests to serve at the local shrines in Israel and at the places of worship where he had set up statues of goat-demons and of calves.
16 But some of the people from Israel wanted to worship the Lord God, just as their ancestors had done. So they followed the priests and Levites to Jerusalem, where they could offer sacrifices to the Lord. 17 For the next three years, they lived in Judah and were loyal to Rehoboam and his kingdom, just as they had been loyal to David and Solomon.
Rehoboam's Family
18 Rehoboam married Mahalath, whose father was Jerimoth son of David, and whose mother was Abihail the daughter of Eliab and granddaughter of Jesse. 19 Rehoboam and Mahalath had three sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 20 Then Rehoboam married Maacah the daughter of Absalom. Their sons were Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
21 Rehoboam had 18 wives, but he also married 60 other women, and he was the father of 28 sons and 60 daughters. Rehoboam loved his wife Maacah the most, 22 so he chose their oldest son Abijah to be the next king. 23 Rehoboam was wise enough to put one of his sons in charge of each fortified city in his kingdom. He gave them all the supplies they needed and found wives for every one of them.
1 Un, nonācis Jeruzālemē, Rehabeāms sapulcināja visu Jūdas un Benjamīna namu - simts astoņdesmit tūkstošus izlasītu karotāju, lai dotos karot ar Israēlu un atgrieztu atpakaļ ķēniņa valsti sev - Rehabeāmam. 2 Bet Tā Kunga vārds nāca pār Šemaju, Dieva vīru, sacīdams: 3 "Saki Jūdas ķēniņam Rehabeāmam, Salamana dēlam, un visam Israēlam Jūdā un Benjamīnā, teikdams: 4 tā saka Tas Kungs: necelieties un nekarojiet ar saviem brāļiem; griezieties ikviens atpakaļ savās mājās, jo šis notikums ir Manis nolikts." Un viņi paklausīja Tā Kunga vārdiem un atteicās doties pret Jerobeāmu. 5 Un Rehabeāms dzīvoja Jeruzālemē, viņš izveidoja pilsētas Jūdā par stipriem cietokšņiem. 6 Un viņš nocietināja Bētlemi, Ētāmu un Tekoju, 7 un Bet-Cūru, Soho un Adullāmu, 8 un Gātu, Marešu un Zifu, 9 un Adoraimu, Lahišu un Azeku, 10 un Coru, Ajalonu un Hebronu, kas Jūdā un Benjamīnā jau bija stipri nocietinātas. 11 Un viņš nostiprināja vēl vairāk šos nocietinātos cietokšņus un novietoja tajos pārvaldniekus, sakrāja tur pārtiku, eļļu un vīnu. 12 Un ikkatrā pilsētā bija lielie vairogi, kā arī šķēpi, tā ka viņš tās padarīja ļoti stipras, un tā viņam piederēja Jūda un Benjamīns. 13 Bet priesteri un levīti, kas bija no itin visa Israēla, atnāca un nostājās viņa priekšā, kalpodami viņam no visām Israēla zemes malām, 14 jo levīti atstāja savas apmešanās vietas un savus īpašumus un devās uz Jūdu un uz Jeruzālemi, tādēļ ka Jerobeāms ar saviem dēliem lika tiem staigāt nepareizus ceļus, neļaujot viņiem palikt par Tā Kunga priesteriem. 15 Un viņš pats sev iecēla priesterus kalnu augstienēs vietējiem dēmoniem un teļu tēliem, ko viņš bija licis darināt. 16 Un levītiem sekoja no visām Israēla ciltīm tie, kas bija savās sirdīs nolēmuši meklēt To Kungu, kas ir Israēla Dievs; tie devās uz Jeruzālemi, lai nestu kaujamos upurus Tam Kungam, savu tēvu Dievam. 17 Tā šie pienācēji nostiprināja Jūdas ķēniņa valsti un deva spēku Rehabeāmam, Salamana dēlam, trīs gadus, jo trīs gadus tie staigāja Dāvida un Salamana ceļus. 18 Un Rehabeāms ņēma sev par sievu Mahalatu, Dāvida dēla Jerimota un Ēliāba, Īsaja dēla, meitas Abihailas meitu. 19 Un viņa dzemdēja viņam dēlus: Jehušu, Šemarju un Sahāmu. 20 Un pēc viņas viņš ņēma Maāhu, Absaloma meitu; viņa dzemdēja viņam Abiju, Ataju, Zizu un Šelomītu. 21 Un Rehabeāms mīlēja Maāhu, Absaloma meitu, vairāk nekā visas savas sievas un blakussievas. Viņš bija apņēmis astoņpadsmit sievas un sešdesmit blakussievas, un viņš dzemdināja divdesmit astoņus dēlus un sešas meitas. 22 Un Rehabeāms iecēla Abiju, Maāhas dēlu, par galveno un vadoni pārējiem brāļiem, jo viņam bija nodoms to celt par ķēniņu. 23 Viņš bija gudrs savā rīcībā un sadalīja savu dēlu pulku pa visiem Jūdas un Benjamīna novadiem un nocietinātām pilsētām, piešķirdams viņiem lielā daudzumā pārtikas krājumus un sameklēdams viņiem daudz sievu.
