New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 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.
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And Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, and got together the men of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand of his best fighting-men, to make war against Israel and get the kingdom back for Rehoboam.
2 But the word of the Lord 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 Say to King Rehoboam of Judah, son of Solomon, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin,
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Say to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin,
4 "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.
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The Lord has said, You are not to go to war against your brothers: let every man go back to his house, for this thing is my purpose. So they gave ear to the words of the Lord and were turned back from fighting against Jeroboam.
5 Rehoboam resided in Jerusalem, and he built cities for defense in Judah.
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Now Rehoboam kept in Jerusalem, building walled towns in Judah.
6 He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
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He was the builder of Beth-lehem and Etam and Tekoa
7 Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,
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And Beth-zur and Soco and Adullam
8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
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And Gath and Mareshah and Ziph
9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
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And Adoraim and Lachish and Azekah
10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, fortified cities that are in Judah and in Benjamin.
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And Zorah and Aijalon and Hebron, walled towns in Judah and Benjamin.
11 He made the fortresses strong, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine.
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And he made the walled towns strong, and he put captains in them and stores of food, oil, and wine.
12 He also put large shields and spears in all the cities, and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin.
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And in every town he put stores of body-covers and spears, and made them very strong. And Judah and Benjamin were his.
13 The priests and the Levites who were in all Israel presented themselves to him from all their territories.
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And the priests and Levites who were in all Israel came together to him from every part of their country.
14 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,
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For the Levites gave up their living-places and their property, and came to Judah and Jerusalem; for Jeroboam and his sons had sent them away, not letting them be priests to the Lord;
15 and had appointed his own priests for the high places, and for the goat-demons, and for the calves that he had made.
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And he himself made priests for the high places, and for the images of he-goats and oxen which he had made.
16 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.
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And after them, from all the tribes of Israel, all those whose hearts were fixed and true to the Lord, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to make offerings to the Lord, the God of their fathers.
17 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.
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So they went on increasing the power of the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, strong for three years; and for three years they went in the ways of David and Solomon.
18 Rehoboam took as his wife Mahalath daughter of Jerimoth son of David, and of Abihail daughter of Eliab son of Jesse.
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And Rehoboam took as his wife Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, the son of David and of Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, the son of Jesse;
19 She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
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And she had sons by him, Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
20 After her he took Maacah daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
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And after her he took Maacah, the daughter of Absalom; and she had Abijah and Attai and Ziza and Shelomith by him.
21 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).
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Maacah, the daughter of Absalom, was dearer to Rehoboam than all his wives and his servant-wives: (for he had eighteen wives and sixty servant-wives, and was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.)
22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, for he intended to make him king.
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Rehoboam made Abijah, the son of Maacah, chief and ruler among his brothers, for it was his purpose to make him king.
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.
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And in his wisdom he had his sons stationed in every walled town through all the lands of Judah and Benjamin; and he gave them a great store of food, and took wives for them.
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.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.