1 And when Reḥaḇ’am came to Yerushalayim, he assembled from the house of Yahuḏah and Binyamin one hundred and eighty thousand men of battle to fight against Yisra’ĕl, to bring back the reign to Reḥaḇ’am.
2 But the word of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 came to Shemayahu the man of Elohim, saying,
3 “Speak to Reḥaḇ’am son of Shelomoh, sovereign of Yahuḏah, and to all Yisrael in Yahuḏah and Binyamin, saying,
4 ‘Thus said 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, “Do no go up or fight against your brothers! Let every man return to his house, for this matter is from Me.” ’ ” So they obeyed the words of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and turned back from going against Yaroḇ’am.
5 And Reḥaḇ’am dwelt in Yerushalayim, and built cities for a defence in Yahuḏah.
6 And he built Bĕyth Leḥem, and Ĕytam, and Teqowa,
7 and Bĕyth Tsur, and Soḵo, and Aḏullam,
8 and Gath, and Marĕshah, and Ziph,
9 and Aḏorayim, and Laḵish, and Azĕqah,
10 and Tsor’ah, and Ayalon, and Ḥeḇron, which are in Yahuḏah and Binyamin, cities of defence.
11 And he strengthened the strongholds, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, and oil, and wine,
12 and shields and spears in every city, and made them very strong. Thus Yahuḏah and Binyamin were his.
13 And from all their borders the kohenim and the Lĕwites who were in all Yisra’ĕl took their stand with him.
14 For the Lĕwites left their open lands and their possessions and came to Yahuḏah and Yerushalayim, for Yaroḇ’am and his sons had rejected them from serving as kohenim unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄,
15 as he appointed for himself priests for the high places, and for demons, and the calf idols which he had made.
16 And after the Lĕwites left, those from all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, such as applied their heart to seek 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, came to Yerushalayim to offer to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim of their fathers.
17 And they strengthened the reign of Yahuḏah, and made Reḥaḇ’am son of Shelomoh strong for three years, for they walked in the way of Dawiḏ and Shelomoh for three years.
18 And Reḥaḇ’am took for himself as wife Maḥalath the daughter of Yerimoth son of Dawiḏ, and of Aḇḥayil the daughter of Eliyaḇ son of Yishai.
19 And she bore him sons: Ye’ush, and Shemaryah, and Zaham.
20 And after her he took Ma’aḵah the granddaughter of Aḇshalom. And she bore him Aḇiyah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.
21 And Reḥaḇ’am loved Ma’aḵah the granddaughter of Aḇshalom more than all his wives and his concubines. For he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and brought forth twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
22 And Reḥaḇ’am appointed Aḇiyah son of Ma’aḵah as chief, to be leader among his brothers, in order to make him reign.
23 And he had understanding, and dispersed some of his sons throughout all the lands of Yahuḏah and Binyamin, to all the cities of defence, and gave them ample provision. And he sought many wives.