When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered the house of Judah and Benjamin--a hundred and eighty thousand fighting men--to make war against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam.
But this word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God:
"Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin,
'This is what the LORD says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.' " So they obeyed the words of the LORD and turned back from marching against Jeroboam.
Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built up towns for defense in Judah:
Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron. These were fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.
为保障修筑伯利恒,以坦,提哥亚,
伯夙,梭哥,亚杜兰,
迦特,玛利沙,西弗,
亚多莱音,拉吉,亚西加,
琐拉,亚雅仑,希伯仑。这都是犹大和便雅悯的坚固城。
He strengthened their defenses and put commanders in them, with supplies of food, olive oil and wine.
He put shields and spears in all the cities, and made them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his.
The priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel sided with him.
The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property, and came to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD.
And he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat and calf idols he had made.
Those from every tribe of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the LORD, the God of their fathers.
They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon three years, walking in the ways of David and Solomon during this time.
Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David's son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse's son Eliab.
She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham.
Then he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith.
以色列各支派中,凡立定心意寻求耶和华以色列神的,都随从利未人,来到耶路撒冷祭祀耶和华他们列祖的神。
这样,就坚固犹大国,使所罗门的儿子罗波安强盛三年,因为他们三年遵行大卫和所罗门的道。
罗波安娶大卫儿子耶利摩的女儿玛哈拉为妻,又娶耶西儿子以利押的女儿亚比孩为妻。
从她生了几个儿子,就是耶乌施,示玛利雅,撒罕。
后来又娶押沙龙的女儿玛迦(十三章二节作乌列的女儿米该雅),从她生了亚比雅,亚太,细撒,示罗密。
Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah to be the chief prince among his brothers, in order to make him king.
He acted wisely, dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and took many wives for them.