11
He fortified the strongholds, appointed captains in charge of them and supplied them with food, olive oil and wine.
12
In every city he put shields and spears, making them very strong. Y'hudah and Binyamin stuck with him.
13
The cohanim and L'vi'im from wherever they lived throughout all Isra'el made themselves available to Rechav'am.
14
The L'vi'im left their pasture lands and property and came to Y'hudah and Yerushalayim; since Yarov'am and his sons had thrown them out, not allowing them to function as cohanim for ADONAI,
15
and had appointed for himself cohanim for the high places and for the images of goat-demons and calves that he had made.
16
Those from all the tribes of Isra'el who had set their hearts on seeking ADONAI, the God of Isra'el, followed them to Yerushalayim to sacrifice to ADONAI, the God of their fathers.
17
For three years they strengthened the kingdom of Y'hudah and made Rechav'am the son of Shlomo strong, because for three years they followed the way of life of David and Shlomo.
18
Rechav'am married Machalat the daughter of Yerimot the son of David and Avichayil the daughter of Eli'av the son of Yishai;
19
and she became the mother of his sons Ye'ush, Sh'maryah and Zaham.
20
After her, he married Ma'akhah the daughter of Avshalom; she became the mother of Aviyah, 'Atai, Ziza and Shlomit.
21
Rechav'am loved Ma'akhah more than all his other wives and concubines - for he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines and was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.