1وَلَمَّا جَاءَ رَحُبْعَامُ إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ جَمَعَ مِنْ بَيْتِ يَهُوذَا وَبِنْيَامِينَ مِئَةً وَثَمَانِينَ أَلْفَ مُخْتَارٍ مُحَارِبٍ لِيُحَارِبَ إِسْرَائِيلَ، لِيَرُدَّ الْمُلْكَ إِلَى رَحُبْعَامَ.2وَكَانَ كَلاَمُ الرَّبِّ إِلَى شَمَعْيَا رَجُلِ اللَّهِ3قُلْ لِرَحُبْعَامَ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ مَلِكِ يَهُوذَا وَكُلِّ إِسْرَائِيلَ فِي يَهُوذَا وَبِنْيَامِينَ،4هَكَذَا قَالَ الرَّبُّ، لاَ تَصْعَدُوا وَلاَ تُحَارِبُوا إِخْوَتَكُمْ. ارْجِعُوا كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ، لأَنَّهُ مِنْ قِبَلِي صَارَ هَذَا الأَمْرُ فَسَمِعُوا لِكَلاَمِ الرَّبِّ وَرَجَعُوا عَنِ الذَّهَابِ ضِدَّ يَرُبْعَامَ.5وَأَقَامَ رَحُبْعَامُ فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ وَبَنَى مُدُناً لِلْحِصَارِ فِي يَهُوذَا.6فَبَنَى بَيْتَ لَحْمٍ وَعِيطَامَ وَتَقُوعَ7وَبَيْتَ صُورَ وَسُوكُوَ وَعَدُلاَّمَ8وَجَتَّ وَمَرِيشَةَ وَزِيفَ9وَأَدُورَايِمَ وَلَخِيشَ وَعَزِيقَةَ10وَصَرْعَةَ وَأَيَّلُونَ وَحَبْرُونَ الَّتِي فِي يَهُوذَا وَبِنْيَامِينَ مُدُناً حَصِينَةً.11وَشَدَّدَ الْحُصُونَ وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا قُوَّاداً وَخَزَائِنَ مَأْكَلٍ وَزَيْتٍ وَخَمْرٍ12وَأَتْرَاساً فِي كُلِّ مَدِينَةٍ وَرِمَاحاً، وَشَدَّدَهَا كَثِيراً جِدّاً، وَكَانَ لَهُ يَهُوذَا وَبَنْيَامِينُ.13وَالْكَهَنَةُ وَاللاَّوِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ فِي كُلِّ إِسْرَائِيلَ مَثَلُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنْ جَمِيعِ تُخُومِهِمْ،14لأَنَّ اللاَّوِيِّينَ تَرَكُوا مَرَاعِيَهُمْ وَأَمْلاَكَهُمْ وَانْطَلَقُوا إِلَى يَهُوذَا وَأُورُشَلِيمَ، لأَنَّ يَرُبْعَامَ وَبَنِيهِ رَفَضُوهُمْ مِنْ أَنْ يَكْهَنُوا لِلرَّبِّ15وَأَقَامَ لِنَفْسِهِ كَهَنَةً لِلْمُرْتَفَعَاتِ وَلِلتُّيُوسِ وَلِلْعُجُولِ الَّتِي عَمِلَ.16وَبَعْدَهُمْ جَاءَ إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ مِنْ جَمِيعِ أَسْبَاطِ إِسْرَائِيلَ الَّذِينَ وَجَّهُوا قُلُوبَهُمْ إِلَى طَلَبِ الرَّبِّ إِلَهِ إِسْرَائِيلَ لِيَذْبَحُوا لِلرَّبِّ إِلَهِ آبَائِهِمْ.17وَشَدَّدُوا مَمْلَكَةَ يَهُوذَا وَقَوَّوْا رَحُبْعَامَ بْنَ سُلَيْمَانَ ثَلاَثَ سِنِينَ، لأَنَّهُمْ سَارُوا فِي طَرِيقِ دَاوُدَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ ثَلاَثَ سِنِينَ.18وَاتَّخَذَ رَحُبْعَامُ لِنَفْسِهِ امْرَأَةً، مَحْلَةَ بِنْتَ يَرِيمُوثَ بْنِ دَاوُدَ، وَأَبِيجَايِلَ بِنْتَ أَلِيآبَ بْنِ يَسَّى.19فَوَلَدَتْ لَهُ بَنِينَ، يَعُوشَ وَشَمَرْيَا وَزَاهَمَ20ثُمَّ بَعْدَهَا أَخَذَ مَعْكَةَ بِنْتَ أَبْشَالُومَ، فَوَلَدَتْ لَهُ أَبِيَّا وَعَتَّايَ وَزِيزَا وَشَلُومِيثَ.21وَأَحَبَّ رَحُبْعَامُ مَعْكَةَ بِنْتَ أَبْشَالُومَ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ جَمِيعِ نِسَائِهِ وَسَرَارِيهِ، لأَنَّهُ اتَّخَذَ ثَمَانِيَ عَشَرَةَ امْرَأَةً وَسِتِّينَ سُرِّيَّةً، وَوَلَدَ ثَمَانِيَةً وَعِشْرِينَ ابْناً وَسِتِّينَ ابْنَةً.22وَأَقَامَ رَحُبْعَامُ أَبِيَّا ابْنَ مَعْكَةَ رَأْساً وَقَائِداً بَيْنَ إِخْوَتِهِ لِيُمَلِّكَهُ.23وَكَانَ فَهِيماً، وَفَرَّقَ مِنْ كُلِّ بَنِيهِ فِي جَمِيعِ أَرَاضِي يَهُوذَا وَبِنْيَامِينَ فِي كُلِّ الْمُدُنِ الْحَصِينَةِ وَأَعْطَاهُمْ زَاداً بِكَثْرَةٍ. وَطَلَبَ نِسَاءً كَثِيرَةً.
1And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men , which were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.2But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,3Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,4Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam.5And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.6He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,7And Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam,8And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,9And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,10And Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities.11And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine.12And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.13And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts.14For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest' office unto the LORD:15And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.16And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers.17So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.18And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;19Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.20And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.21And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.)22And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king.23And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city: and he gave them victual in abundance. And he desired many wives.