Rehabeāms nostiprina Jūdas un Benjāmina pilsētas
(1Ķēn 12:20–24)1 Rehabeāms nāca uz Jeruzālemi un sapulcināja Jūdas un Benjāmina namu, simts astoņdesmit tūkstošus izlases karotāju, lai karotu ar Israēlu un atgūtu valsti Rehabeāmam.
2 Tad Kunga vārds nāca pār Dieva vīru Šemaju: 3 “Saki Sālamana dēlam, Jūdas ķēniņam Rehabeāmam un visam Israēlam Jūdā un Benjāminā: 4 tā saka Kungs: necelieties un nekarojiet ar saviem brāļiem, bet atgriezieties katrs savā namā, jo tā lieta nākusi no manis!” Tie uzklausīja Kunga vārdu un negāja karot ar Jārobāmu.
5 Rehabeāms dzīvoja Jeruzālemē un cēla Jūdā nocietinātas pilsētas. 6 Viņš cēla Betlēmi, Ētāmu, Tekou, 7 Bēt-Cūru, Soho, Adullāmu, 8 Gatu, Mārēšu, Zīfu, 9 Adoraimu, Lāhīšu, Azēku, 10 Coru, Ajalonu, Hebronu – nocietinātas pilsētas Jūdā un Benjāminā. 11 Viņš nostiprināja nocietinājumus, iecēla pilsētām pārvaldniekus un krāja tajās pārtiku, eļļu un vīnu. 12 Katrā pilsētā bija vairogi un šķēpi, viņš tās bija vareni nostiprinājis. Viņam bija palikusi Jūda un Benjāmins.
Priesteri un levīti atbalsta Rehabeāmu
(1Ķēn 14:21–24)13 Priesteri un levīti no visām Israēla robežām atgriezās pie viņa, 14 jo levīti atstāja savas zemes platības un īpašumus un devās uz Jeruzālemi. Jārobāms un viņa dēli tos bija atcēluši no Kunga priesteru amata 15 un iecēluši priesterus gan augstienēm, gan āžkājiem, gan teļiem, ko paši bija darinājuši. 16 Tie, kas no sirds meklēja Kungu, Israēla Dievu, no visām Israēla ciltīm kopā ar levītiem devās uz Jeruzālemi, lai upurētu Kungam, viņu tēvu Dievam. 17 Tā viņi nostiprināja Jūdas valsti un atbalstīja Rehabeāmu, Sālamana dēlu, trīs gadus – visus trīs gadus staigādami Dāvida un Sālamana ceļu.
Rehabeāma sievas
18 Rehabeāms ņēma par sievu Mahalatu, Dāvida dēla Jerīmota meitu, un Abīhailu, Jišaja dēla Elīāba meitu. 19 Viņa tam dzemdēja dēlus: Jeūšu, Šemarju un Zāhamu. 20 Pēc tam viņš apņēma Abšāloma meitu Maahu, kas viņam dzemdēja Abiju, Ataju, Zīzu un Šelomītu. 21 Rehabeāms mīlēja Maahu, Abšāloma meitu, vairāk par visām savām sievām un blakussievām. Viņam bija astoņdesmit sievas un sešdesmit blakussievas. Viņam dzemdēja divdesmit astoņus dēlus un sešdesmit meitas. 22 Rehabeāms iecēla Maahas dēlu Abiju par galveno, par vadoni saviem brāļiem, jo viņš bija nolēmis to iecelt par ķēniņu. 23 Viņš bija saprātīgs un sadalīja visus savus dēlus pa visu Jūdas un Benjāmina zemi, pa visām nocietinātajām pilsētām, deva tiem daudz pārtikas un sagādāja pulkiem sievu.
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.
