1. On his arrival in Jerusalem, Rehoboam assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin—one hundred and eighty thousand elite warriors—to wage war against Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.
2. However, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, a man of God:
3. Say to Rehoboam, son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin:
4. “Thus says the Lord: You must not go out to war against your kinsmen. Return home, each of you, for it is I who have brought this about.” They obeyed the word of the Lord and turned back from going against Jeroboam.
5. Rehoboam took up residence in Jerusalem and built fortified cities in Judah.
6. He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,