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's Prophecy
(1 Kings 12.21-24)1 When King Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he called together 180,000 of the best soldiers from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah. He intended to go to war and restore his control over the northern tribes of Israel. 2 But the Lord told the prophet Shemaiah 3 to give this message to King Rehoboam and to all the people of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin: 4 “Do not attack your own relatives. Go home, all of you. What has happened is my will.” They obeyed the Lord's command and did not go to fight Jeroboam.
Rehoboam Fortifies the Cities
5 Rehoboam remained in Jerusalem and had fortifications built for the following cities of Judah and Benjamin: 6 Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Bethzur, Soco, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. 11 He had them strongly fortified and appointed a commander for each of them, and in each one he placed supplies of food, olive oil, and wine, 12 and also shields and spears. In this way he kept Judah and Benjamin under his control.
Priests and Levites Come to Judah
13 From all the territory of Israel priests and Levites came south to Judah. 14 The Levites abandoned their pastures and other land and moved to Judah and Jerusalem, because King Jeroboam of Israel and his successors would not let them serve as priests of the Lord. 15 Jeroboam appointed priests of his own to serve at the pagan places of worship and to worship demons and the idols he made in the form of bull-calves. 16 From all the tribes of Israel people who sincerely wanted to worship the Lord, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem, so that they could offer sacrifices to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 17 This strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they supported Rehoboam son of Solomon and lived as they had under the rule of King David and King 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 They had three sons, Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 20 Later he married Maacah, the daughter of Absalom, and they had four sons: Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 In all, Rehoboam had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. Of all his wives and concubines he loved Maacah best, 22 and he favored her son Abijah over all his other children, choosing him as the one to succeed him as king. 23 Rehoboam wisely assigned responsibilities to his sons and stationed them throughout Judah and Benjamin in the fortified cities. He provided generously for them and also secured many wives for them.
