4. ‘Thus says Adonai, You shall not go up nor fight against your kinsmen. Let everyone return to his house for this matter is of Me.’ ” So they listened to the words of Adonai and returned from marching against Jeroboam.
5. Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built fortified cities for defense in Judah.
6. He built up Beth-lehem, 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 also strengthened the fortified towns and put commanders in them, along with stores of food, oil and wine.
12. He also put shields and spears in every town, and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin.
13. Moreover, the kohanim and the Levites from all their territories throughout Israel presented themselves to him.
14. The Levites even abandoned their pastures and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as kohanim to Adonai,
15. and had appointed his own priests for the high places, for the he-goats and for the calves that he had made.
16. Those from all the tribes of Israel, who had set their hearts to seek Adonai, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Adonai, the God of their fathers.