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New International Version |   | |
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| | 2Ch 11:1 | When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered the house of Judah and Benjamin--a hundred and eighty thousand fighting men--to make war against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam.
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| | 2Ch 11:2 | But this word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God:
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| | 2Ch 11:3 | "Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin,
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| | 2Ch 11:4 | `This is what the LORD says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.'" So they obeyed the words of the LORD and turned back from marching against Jeroboam.
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| | 2Ch 11:5 | Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built up towns for defense in Judah:
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| | 2Ch 11:6 | Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
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| | 2Ch 11:7 | Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam,
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| | 2Ch 11:8 | Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
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| | 2Ch 11:9 | Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
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| | 2Ch 11:10 | Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron. These were fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.
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| | 2Ch 11:11 | He strengthened their defenses and put commanders in them, with supplies of food, olive oil and wine.
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| | 2Ch 11:12 | He put shields and spears in all the cities, and made them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his.
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| | 2Ch 11:13 | The priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel sided with him.
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| | 2Ch 11:14 | The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property, and came to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD.
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| | 2Ch 11:15 | And he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat and calf idols he had made.
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| | 2Ch 11:16 | Those from every tribe of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the LORD, the God of their fathers.
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| | 2Ch 11:17 | They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon three years, walking in the ways of David and Solomon during this time.
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| | 2Ch 11:18 | Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David's son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse's son Eliab.
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| | 2Ch 11:19 | She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham.
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| | 2Ch 11:20 | Then he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith.
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| | 2Ch 11:21 | Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
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| | 2Ch 11:22 | Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah to be the chief prince among his brothers, in order to make him king.
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| | 2Ch 11:23 | He acted wisely, dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and took many wives for them.
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