1. Rehoboam went back to Jerusalem and gathered together an army of 180,000 men from the families of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin. Rehoboam wanted to go fight against the Israelites and take back his kingdom.
2. But the Lord spoke to a man of God named Shemaiah. He said,
3. “Talk to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to men of Judah and Benjamin.
4. Say to them, ‘The Lord says that you must not go to war against your brothers. Everyone, go home! I made all this happen.’” So all the men in Rehoboam’s army obeyed the Lord and went home. They did not attack Jeroboam.
5. Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built strong cities in Judah to defend against attacks.
6. He repaired 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 cities in Judah and Benjamin were made strong.