Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
New Revised Standard NRS
1 And Roboam came to Jerusalem, and called together all the house of Juda and of Benjamin, a hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men and warriors, to fight against Israel, and to bring back his kingdom to him.
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.
2 And the word of the Lord came to Semeias the man of God, saying:
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But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God:
3 Speak to Roboam the son of Solomon the king of Juda, and to all Israel, in Juda and Benjamin:
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Say to King Rehoboam of Judah, son of Solomon, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin,
4 Thus saith the Lord: You shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: let every man return to his own house, for by my will this thing has been done. And when they heard the word of the Lord, they returned, and did not go 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 And Roboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built walled cities in Juda.
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Rehoboam resided in Jerusalem, and he built cities for defense in Judah.
6 And he built Bethlehem, and Etam, and Thecue,
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He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
7 And Bethsur, and Socho, and Odollam,
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Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,
8 And Geth, and Maresa, and Ziph,
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Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
9 And Aduram, and Lachis, and Azecha,
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Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
10 Saraa also, and Aialon, and Hebron, which are in Juda and Benjamin, well fenced cities.
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Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, fortified cities that are in Judah and in Benjamin.
11 And when he had enclosed them with walls, he put in them governors and storehouses of provisions, that is, of oil and of wine.
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He made the fortresses strong, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine.
12 Moreover in every city he made an armoury of shields and spears, and he fortified them with great diligence, and he reigned over Juda, and Benjamin,
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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 And the priests and Levites, that were in all Israel, came to him out of all their seats,
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The priests and the Levites who were in all Israel presented themselves to him from all their territories.
14 Leaving their suburbs, and their possessions, and passing over to Juda, and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off, from executing the priestly office to the Lord.
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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 And he made to himself priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which 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 Moreover out of all the tribes of Israel, whosoever gave their heart to seek the Lord the God of Israel, came into Jerusalem to sacrifice their victims before the Lord the God of their fathers.
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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 And they strengthened the kingdom of Juda, and established Roboam the son of Solomon for three years: for they walked in the ways of David and of Solomon, only 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 And Roboam took to wife Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David: and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Isai.
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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 And they bore him sons Jehus, and Somorias, and Zoom.
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She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
20 And after her he married Maacha the daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abia, and Ethai, and Ziza, and Salomith.
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After her he took Maacah daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
21 And Roboam loved Maacha the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and concubines: for he had married eighteen wives, and threescore concubines: and he begot eight and twenty sons, and threescore 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 But he put at the head of them Abia the son of Maacha to be the chief ruler over all his brethren: for he meant 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 Because he was wiser and mightier than all his sons, and in all the countries of Juda, and of Benjamin, and in all the walled cities: and he gave them provisions in abundance, and he sought many wives.
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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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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.