Common English Bible CEB
New King James Version NKJV
1 When Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, one hundred eighty thousand select warriors, to fight against Israel and to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.
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Now when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled from the house of Judah and Benjamin one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.
2 But the LORD's word came to Shemaiah the man of God:
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But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
3 Tell Judah's King Rehoboam, Solomon's son, and all Israel in Judah and Benjamin,
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"Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,
4 This is what the LORD says: Don't make war against your relatives. Go home, every one of you, because this is my plan. When they heard the LORD's words, they abandoned their attack against Jeroboam.
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'Thus says the Lord: "You shall not go up or fight against your brethren! Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me." ' " Therefore they obeyed the words of the Lord, and turned back from attacking Jeroboam.
5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, but he built cities for Judah's defense
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So Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah.
6 in Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
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And he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
7 Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,
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Beth Zur, Sochoh, Adullam,
8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
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Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
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Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These were the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.
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Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and Benjamin, fortified cities.
11 He made the fortifications stronger, placed commanders in them, and supplied them with food, oil, and wine.
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And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine.
12 He also stored shields and spears in each of the cities, making them very strong. This is how Judah and Benjamin remained under his control.
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Also in every city he put shields and spears, and made them very strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.
13 The priests and the Levites from every region throughout all Israel sided with Rehoboam.
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And from all their territories the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him.
14 The Levites left their pastures and property to come to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons had refused to let them serve as the LORD's priests,
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For the Levites left their common-lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to the Lord.
15 having appointed his own priests for the shrines and the goat and calf idols he had made.
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Then he appointed for himself priests for the high places, for the demons, and the calf idols which he had made.
16 People from every tribe of Israel who had made up their minds to seek the LORD, Israel's God, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their ancestors.
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And after the Levites left, those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers.
17 They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam, Solomon's son, for three years by following the way of David and Solomon those three years.
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So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
18 Rehoboam married Mahalath daughter of Jerimoth, David's son, and Abihail daughter of Eliab, Jesse's son.
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Then Rehoboam took for himself as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliah the son of Jesse.
19 The sons she bore him were Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
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And she bore him children: Jeush, Shamariah, and Zaham.
20 Later he married Maacah, Absalom's daughter, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
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After her he took Maacah the granddaughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
21 Rehoboam loved Absalom's daughter Maacah more than all his wives and secondary wives. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty secondary wives, twenty-eight sons, and sixty daughters.
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Now Rehoboam loved Maachah the granddaughter of Absalom more than all his wives and his concubines; for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
22 Rehoboam named Abijah, Maacah's son, as his successor in order to make him king.
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And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maachah as chief, to be leader among his brothers; for he intended to make him king.
23 He wisely placed some of his sons in every region of Judah and Benjamin, in every fortified city, and gave them plenty of food and sought many wives for them.
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He dealt wisely, and dispersed some of his sons throughout all the territories of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city; and he gave them provisions in abundance. He also sought many wives for them.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.