1 When Rehoboam reached Jerusalem, he mustered a hundred and eighty thousand picked warriors of the House of Judah and Benjamin to fight Israel and win back the kingdom for Rehoboam.
2 But the word of Yahweh came to Shemaiah, man of God,
3 'Say this to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin,
4 "Yahweh says this: Do not go and make war on your brothers; let everyone go home, for this is my doing." ' They obeyed Yahweh's command and went back instead of marching against Jeroboam.
5 Rehoboam, residing in Jerusalem, fortified a number of towns for the defence of Judah.
6 He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
7 Beth-Zur, Soco, Adullam,
8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
10 Zorah, Aijalon, Hebron, these being the fortified towns in Judah and Benjamin.
11 He equipped these fortresses, stationing commanders in them, with supplies of food, oil and wine,
12 and shields and spears in each of these towns, making them extremely strong and thus retaining control of Judah and Benjamin.
13 The priests and the Levites from all over Israel left their districts to put themselves at his disposal.
14 The Levites, indeed, abandoned their pasture lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons had excluded them from the priesthood of Yahweh.
15 Jeroboam had appointed his own priests for the high places dedicated to the satyrs and calves which he had made.
16 And those members of all the tribes of Israel who were determined to seek Yahweh, God of Israel, followed those priests and Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Yahweh, God of their ancestors.
17 These added strength to the kingdom of Judah and gave their support to Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years. For three years they remained loyal to David and Solomon.
18 Rehoboam married Mahalath daughter of Jerimoth, son of David, and of Abihail daughter of Eliab son of Jesse,
19 and she bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham.
20 After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith.
21 Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom, more than all his other wives and concubines. He had in fact a total of eighteen wives and sixty concubines and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
22 Rehoboam named Abijah son of Maacah as head, hence leader, of his brothers, with a view to making him king,
23 and acted wisely by distributing his sons throughout the territories of Judah and Benjamin, some in each fortified town, where he provided plenty of food for them and found them wives.
Versículos relacionados com 2 Chronicles, 11:
2 Chronicles 11 describes the division of the kingdom of Israel after the death of King Solomon, with ten northern tribes rebeling against Roboam, son of Solomon, who ruled the two southern tribes. The chapter also talks about the fortifications built by Robano in Judah to prepare for the war.
1 Kings 12:16: "See, therefore, all Israel that the king did not hear him, the people answered the king, saying, What part we have with David? We have no inheritance with the son of Jesse; Your tents, O Israel! Now, look at your house, O David. And Israel is gone to your tents. " This verse talks about the rebellion of the ten northern tribes, which separated from the kingdom of Judah.
2 Chronicles 12:1: "And it happened that, eventually royal to consolidate the kingdom, and strengthening, left the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him." This verse shows that Roban, after strengthening his kingdom, abandoned the law of God and led the people with him.
Deuteronomy 20:1: "When you go out to the battle against your enemies, and you will see horses, and cars, and people more numerous than you, you will not fear them; for the Lord your God, who took you out of the earth of Egypt, is with you . " This verse talks about the importance of trust in God in times of war, which was a concern for Robano in building fortifications.
Proverbs 18:10: "Strong tower is the name of the Lord; the righteous will run to it, and be in high refuge." This verse reinforces the theme of the construction of fortifications, but recalls that true security and protection comes from the name of the Lord.
Jeremiah 17:5: "Thus saith the Lord, the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and separates his heart of the Lord." This verse recalls that despite the fortifications and preparations for war, trust in God is the true key to victory and protection.
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