Common English Bible CEB
New Revised Standard NRS
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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When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled one hundred eighty thousand chosen troops of the house of Judah and Benjamin to fight against Israel, to 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:
3 Tell Judah's King Rehoboam, Solomon's son, and all Israel in Judah and Benjamin,
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Say to King Rehoboam of Judah, son of Solomon, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin,
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 kindred. Let everyone return home, for this thing is from me." So they heeded the word of the Lord and turned back from the expedition against Jeroboam.
5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, but he built cities for Judah's defense
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Rehoboam resided in Jerusalem, and he built cities for defense in Judah.
6 in Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
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He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
7 Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,
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Beth-zur, Soco, 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, fortified cities that are in Judah and in Benjamin.
11 He made the fortifications stronger, placed commanders in them, and supplied them with food, oil, and wine.
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He made the fortresses strong, and put commanders 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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He also put large shields and spears in all the cities, and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin.
13 The priests and the Levites from every region throughout all Israel sided with Rehoboam.
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The priests and the Levites who were in all Israel presented themselves to him from all their territories.
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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The Levites had left their common lands and their holdings and had come to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had prevented them from serving as priests of the Lord,
15 having appointed his own priests for the shrines and the goat and calf idols he had made.
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and had appointed his own priests for the high places, and for the goat-demons, and for the calves that 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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Those who had set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
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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They strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they made Rehoboam son of Solomon secure, for they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon.
18 Rehoboam married Mahalath daughter of Jerimoth, David's son, and Abihail daughter of Eliab, Jesse's son.
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Rehoboam took as his wife Mahalath daughter of Jerimoth son of David, and of Abihail daughter of Eliab son of Jesse.
19 The sons she bore him were Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
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She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, 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 daughter of Absalom, who 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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Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and concubines (he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and became the father of 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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Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief prince 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.
23
He dealt wisely, and distributed some of his sons through all the districts of Judah and Benjamin, in all the fortified cities; he gave them abundant provisions, and found many wives for them.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.