Shemaiah the Prophet Warns Rehoboam
(1 Kings 12.21-24)1 After Rehoboam returned to Jerusalem, he decided to attack Israel and regain control of the whole country. So he called together 180,000 soldiers from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
2 Meanwhile, the Lord had told Shemaiah the prophet 3 to tell Rehoboam and everyone from Judah and Benjamin, 4 “The Lord warns you not to go to war against the people from the northern tribes—they are your relatives. Go home! The Lord is the one who made these things happen.”
Rehoboam and his army obeyed the Lord's message and did not attack Jeroboam and his troops.
Rehoboam Fortifies Cities in Judah
5 Rehoboam ruled from Jerusalem, and he had several cities in Judah turned into fortresses so he could use them to defend his country. These cities included 6 Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth-Zur, Soco, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. After he had fortified these cities in the territories of Judah and Benjamin, 11 he assigned an army commander to each of them and stocked them with supplies of food, olive oil, and wine, 12 as well as with shields and spears. He used these fortified cities to keep control of Judah and Benjamin.
The Priests and the Levites Support Rehoboam
13 The priests and Levites from the northern tribes of Israel gave their support to King Rehoboam. 14 And since Jeroboam and the kings of Israel that followed him would not allow any Levites to serve as priests, most Levites left their towns and pasturelands in Israel and moved to Jerusalem and other towns in Judah. 15 Jeroboam chose his own priests to serve at the local shrines in Israel and at the places of worship where he had set up statues of goat-demons and of calves.
16 But some of the people from Israel wanted to worship the Lord God, just as their ancestors had done. So they followed the priests and Levites to Jerusalem, where they could offer sacrifices to the Lord. 17 For the next three years, they lived in Judah and were loyal to Rehoboam and his kingdom, just as they had been loyal to David and Solomon.
Rehoboam's Family
18 Rehoboam married Mahalath, whose father was Jerimoth son of David, and whose mother was Abihail the daughter of Eliab and granddaughter of Jesse. 19 Rehoboam and Mahalath had three sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 20 Then Rehoboam married Maacah the daughter of Absalom. Their sons were Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
21 Rehoboam had 18 wives, but he also married 60 other women, and he was the father of 28 sons and 60 daughters. Rehoboam loved his wife Maacah the most, 22 so he chose their oldest son Abijah to be the next king. 23 Rehoboam was wise enough to put one of his sons in charge of each fortified city in his kingdom. He gave them all the supplies they needed and found wives for every one of them.
Taäŋgu Semaya ro
(1 'Bädri'bai 12:21-24)1 Ondro Rehoboama kosate Yerusalema ya oko, nda mbikala kyila'bai kadopara rote kutu kama alo 'butenjidriena ni 'bakala Benjamina ro ndi Yuda robe yasi. Nda usutate oyine kyila oyene ogone lidri mä'dudri Yisaraele roya logone nda zele. 2 Oko OPI atate nebi Semaya ri 3 lazo ono itine 'Bädri'ba Rehoboama ri ago lidri cini 'bakala Yuda ndi Benjamina ro robe ri ekye: 4 Nyogota Yisaraele'ba azi amiro ko. Vo ami cini ro migo 'bäru. Tase ka'dobe ono orivoya ole maro. 'Dooko ànya royi ota OPI rote ago oyiyi kote kyila oyene Yeroboama be.
Rehoboama be Tiṛi Ṛatararo te 'Bakicii Lomvosi
5 Rehoboama rite Yerusalema ya, ago nda be tiṛi ṛatararo te 'bakicii Yuda ndi Benjamina be ro kwoi gagaza. 6 Beteleme, Etama, Tekoa, 7 Betezura, Soko, Adulama, 8 Gata, Maresa, Zifa, 9 Adoraima, Lakisa, Azeka, 10 Zora, Aijalona ndi Eberona be. 11 Nda be tiṛi na te ṛatararo, ago 'ba otaozo'bai te ba alo alo kigyesi, ndi vo ŋgaonya, ido, vino odroro be, 12 ago nda 'ba ŋga 'digagaro ndi äzui be kpate 'bakicii cini yasi. Nda 'ba Yuda ndi Benjamina be te nda zele liti ono yasi.
Ikyi kohanii ndi Lewe'bai be ro Yuda ya
13 Kohanii ndi Lewe'bai se cini wari Yisaraele roya ikyiyite ŋgäṛiŋwadri Yuda ya. 14 Lewe'bai e'beyi vo cini ànyaro ndi wari ànyaro be te ago ikyiyite Yuda ndi Yerusalema be ya, tana Yeroboama 'Bädri'ba Yisaraele ro ndi ŋgwàagoro ndaro be leyi kote ànyari losi kohanii ro oyene OPI ri. 15 Yeroboama ka'da kohanii modo ndaro rote ruindune vo mäturo Lu uniako'bai ro yasi ago demona ndi lu awi se nda kedebe beti 'daŋgo ro ronye ana mätune. 16 Ànya se cini koleyibe OPI Lu Yisaraele ro mätune ya cini si ni 'bakala cini Yisaraele ro yasi kai, soyite Lewe'bai vo ago ikyiyite Yerusalema ya, tori olone OPI, Lu zutui ànyaro ro ri. 17 Ànya tombayi miri 'bädri'ba Yuda ro rote, ànya ätiyi Rehoboama ŋgwa Solomo rote ago ànya riyite oso se ànya koriyibe ŋgamiri 'Bädri'ba Dawidi ro ndi 'Bädri'ba Solomo robe zele ana ronye ndroa na nätu.
Katidri Rehoboama ro
18 Rehoboama gye Malata, ŋguti Jerimota ŋgwa Dawidi ro ro se endre na ni Abihaila ŋguti Eliaba ro kwozo Yisai ro ana te toko ro. 19 Ànya ti ŋgwàagoro te nätu: ni Jeusa, Semaraya, ndi Zama be. 20 Kovolesi nda gye Maka ŋguti Abisolomo rote, se ti ŋgwàagoro te su ni: Abija, Atai Ziza, ndi Selomita be. 21 Rehoboama orivoya 'ditoko be cini 'butealo fonjidriena, nda ŋgwàagoro be 'buteritu fonjidriena ago ndririŋwa be 'butenjidrialo. Oko nda lu Maka te ndrani 'ditoko ndi 'ditoko ogyeako cini ndaro be drisi, 22 ago Rehoboama ka'da ŋgwa anyaro te opi ro ŋgwàagoro cini ndaro azaka dri, tana nda ratate nda o'bane 'bädri'ba ro vo ndaro ya. 23 Rehoboama nji losi te ŋgwàagoro ndaro ri tavouni si ago 'ba ànya te orine 'bakicii se cini tiṛi ṛatararo be Yuda ndi Benjamina robe kai yasi. Nda ozo ŋgaamba te ànyari, ago gye 'ditoko te ànyari.