1. When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he gathered one hundred eighty thousand of the best soldiers from Judah and Benjamin. He wanted to fight Israel to take back his kingdom.
2. But the Lord spoke his word to Shemaiah, a man of God, saying,
3. “Speak to Solomon’s son Rehoboam, the king of Judah, and to all the Israelites living in Judah and Benjamin. Say to them,
4. ‘The Lord says you must not go to war against your brothers. Every one of you should go home, because I made all these things happen.’ ” So they obeyed the Lord’s command and turned back and did not attack Jeroboam.
5. Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built strong cities in Judah to defend it.
6. He built up the cities of Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
7. Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam,
8. Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
9. Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
10. Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These were strong, walled cities in Judah and Benjamin.
11. When Rehoboam made those cities strong, he put commanders and supplies of food, oil, and wine in them.
12. Also, Rehoboam put shields and spears in all the cities and made them very strong. Rehoboam kept the people of Judah and Benjamin under his control.
13. The priests and the Levites from all over Israel joined Rehoboam.