16. When the Levites left Israel, the people in all the tribes of Israel who were faithful to the Lord, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their fathers.
17. These people made the kingdom of Judah strong, and they supported Solomon’s son Rehoboam for three years. They did this because during that time they lived the way David and Solomon had lived.
18. Rehoboam married Mahalath. Her father was Jerimoth. Her mother was Abihail. Jerimoth was David’s son. Abihail was Eliab’s daughter, and Eliab was Jesse’s son.
19. Mahalath gave Rehoboam these sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
20. Then Rehoboam married Maacah. Maacah was Absalom’s granddaughter. And Maacah gave Rehoboam these children: Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
21. Rehoboam loved Maacah more that he loved all his other wives and slave women. Rehoboam had 18 wives and 60 slave women. He was the father of 28 sons and 60 daughters.
22. Rehoboam chose Abijah to be the leader among his own brothers. He did this because he planned to make Abijah king.
23. Rehoboam acted wisely and spread all his sons through all the areas of Judah and Benjamin to every strong city. And Rehoboam gave plenty of supplies to his sons. He also looked for wives for them.