2. But a message came to Shemaiah from the Lord. He was a man of God. The Lord said to him,
3. "Speak to Solomon's son Rehoboam, the king of Judah. Speak to all of the people of Israel in Judah and Benjamin. Tell them,
4. 'The Lord says, "Do not go up to fight against your relatives. I want every one of you to go back home. Things have happened exactly the way I planned them." ' " So the fighting men obeyed the Lord's message. They turned back. They didn't march out against Jeroboam.
5. Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem. He made Judah more secure by building up their towns.
6. He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
7. Beth Zur, Soco and Adullam.
8. He also built up Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
9. Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
10. Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron. All of them were cities in Judah and Benjamin that had high walls around them.
11. Rehoboam made those cities even more secure. He put commanders in them. He gave them plenty of food, olive oil and wine.
12. He put shields and spears in all of those cities. He made them very strong. So he ruled over Judah and Benjamin.
13. The priests and Levites were on Rehoboam's side. They came from their territories all over Israel.