1. When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the house of Judah and Benjamin — 180,000 choice warriors — to fight against Israel to restore the reign to Rehoboam.
2. But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, the man of God:
3. “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people:
4. ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not to march up and fight against your brothers. Each of you must return home, for this incident has come from Me.’ ” So they listened to what the Lord said and turned back from going against Jeroboam.
5. Rehoboam stayed in Jerusalem, and he fortified cities in Judah.
6. He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
7. Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,
8. Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
9. Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
10. Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin.
11. He strengthened their fortifications and put leaders in them with supplies of food, oil, and wine.
12. He also put large shields and spears in each and every city to make them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his.
13. The priests and Levites from all their regions throughout Israel took their stand with Rehoboam,
14. for the Levites left their pasturelands and their possessions and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons refused to let them serve as priests of Yahweh.
15. Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places, the goat-demons, and the golden calves he had made.