When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem , he mobilized - the house of Judah and Benjamin — 180,000 {} ... ... chosen ... warriors — to fight against Israel and restore - the kingdom to Rehoboam.
But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God - :
“ Tell - Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin -
that this is what the LORD says : ‘ You are not to go up ... and fight against your brothers. Each of you must return home , for this word is from Me. ’” So they listened - to the words of the LORD and turned back from going against Jeroboam.
Rehoboam continued to live in Jerusalem , and he built up cities for defense in Judah.
He built up - vvv Bethlehem , - Etam , - Tekoa ,
- vvv Beth-zur , - Soco , - Adullam ,
- Gath , - Mareshah , - Ziph ,
- Adoraim , - Lachish , - Azekah ,
- Zorah , - Aijalon , - and Hebron , - the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.
He strengthened - their fortresses and put officers with supplies of food , oil , and wine.
He also put shields and spears in all vvv the cities and strengthened them greatly .... So Judah and Benjamin belonged
Moreover, the priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel stood with Rehoboam.
For the Levites - left their pasturelands and their possessions and went to Judah and Jerusalem , because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD.
And Jeroboam appointed priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols - he had made.
Those from every tribe of Israel who had set - their hearts to seek - the LORD their God vvv followed (the Levites) to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD , the God of their fathers.
So they strengthened - the kingdom of Judah and supported - Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years , because they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon.
And Rehoboam married ... - Mahalath , (who was) the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail , the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab.
She bore sons - Jeush , - Shemariah , - and Zaham.
After her , he married - Maacah daughter of Absalom , and she bore - Abijah , - Attai , - Ziza , - and Shelomith.
Rehoboam - loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. ... In all, he had eighteen ... wives and sixty concubines , and he was the father of twenty-eight ... sons and sixty daughters.
Rehoboam - appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers , vvv intending to make him king.
Rehoboam also acted wisely by dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin , ... and to all the fortified cities. He gave abundant provisions and sought many wives for them.