11:1 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he summoned 180,000 skilled warriors from Judah and Benjamin¹ to attack Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. 11:2 But the LORD told Shemaiah the prophet,² 11:3 “Say this to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin, 11:4 ‘The LORD says this: “Do not attack and make war with your brothers. Each of you go home, for I have caused this to happen.”’“³ They obeyed the LORD and called off the attack against Jeroboam.⁴

11:5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem; he built up these fortified cities throughout Judah: 11:6 Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 11:7 Beth Zur, Socho, Adullam, 11:8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 11:9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 11:10 Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron. These were the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. 11:11 He fortified these cities and placed officers in them, as well as storehouses of food, oil and wine. 11:12 In each city there were shields and spears; he strongly fortified them.⁵ Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.

11:13 The priests and Levites who lived throughout Israel supported him, no matter where they resided.⁶ 11:14 The Levites even left their pasturelands and their property behind and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons prohibited them from serving as the LORD’s priests. 11:15 Jeroboam⁷ appointed his own priests to serve at the worship centers⁸ and to lead in the worship of the goat idols and calf idols he had made.⁹ 11:16 Those among all the Israelite tribes who were determined to worship the LORD God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem¹⁰ to sacrifice to the LORD God of their ancestors. 11:17 They supported¹¹ the kingdom of Judah and were loyal to¹² Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years; they followed the edicts of¹³ David and Solomon for three years.

11:18 Rehoboam married¹⁴ Machalath the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of¹⁵ Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab. 11:19 She bore him sons named Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham. 11:20 He later married Maachah the daughter of Absalom. She bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. 11:21 Rehoboam loved Maachah daughter of Absalom move than his other wives and secondary wives.¹⁶ He had 18 wives and 60 secondary wives;¹⁷ he fathered 28 sons and 60 daughters.

11:22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maachah as the leader over his brothers, for he intended to name him his successor.¹⁸ 11:23 He wisely placed some of his many sons throughout the regions of Judah and Benjamin in the various fortified cities.¹⁹ He supplied them with abundant provisions and acquired many wives for them.²⁰