10. and Zorah, and Ajalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities.
11. And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of victuals, and of oil and wine;
12. and in every several city, targets and spears, and made them exceedingly strong. And Judah and Benjamin were his.
13. And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their districts;
14. for the Levites left their suburbs and their possessions, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from exercising the priesthood to Jehovah;
15. and he ordained for himself priests for the high places, and for the he-goats and for the calves that he had made.
16. --And after them, those out of all the tribes of Israel that set their heart to seek Jehovah the God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to Jehovah the God of their fathers.
17. And they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong three years; for during three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.
18. And Rehoboam took Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David as wife, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse.
19. And she bore him children: Jeush, and Shemariah, and Zaham.
20. And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.
21. And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines; for he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
22. And Rehoboam established Abijah the son of Maachah at the head, to be ruler among his brethren; for he thought to make him king.
23. And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to all the fortified cities; and he gave them food in abundance. And he desired for them a multitude of wives.