2 Chronicles 11 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he assembled the fighting men of Judah and Benjamin — a hundred and eighty thousand elite warriors — to go to war against Israel and win the kingdom back.

But a message from Yahweh came to Shemaiah, a man of God:

"Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and tell all of Israel in Judah and Benjamin:

'This is what Yahweh says: Don't march out to fight against your own relatives. Everyone go home, because I'm the one who made this happen.'" They listened to Yahweh's message and turned back from going after Jeroboam.

Rehoboam stayed in Jerusalem and built up fortified cities throughout Judah.

He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam,

Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,

Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron — all of them fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.

He strengthened the fortifications, put commanders in them, and stocked them with food, olive oil, and wine.

In every city he placed shields and spears, making them extremely strong. So Judah and Benjamin remained under his control.

The priests and Levites from all across Israel came and joined Rehoboam from all their territories,

because the Levites left their pasturelands and their property behind and came to Judah and Jerusalem. Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to Yahweh.

Jeroboam had appointed his own priests for the hilltop shrines, for the goat-demons, and for the calf idols he had made.

Following the Levites' lead, people from every tribe of Israel who had set their hearts on seeking Yahweh, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.

They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, because for three years they followed the path of David and Solomon.

Rehoboam married Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth son of David and of Abihail daughter of Eliab son of Jesse.

She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom. She bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.

Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. He had married eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as the chief among his brothers — the designated heir to the throne.

He acted wisely by distributing some of his sons throughout all the regions of Judah and Benjamin, stationing them in the various fortified cities. He gave them generous provisions and secured many wives for them.