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,