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.
Omaukiro wa Semaja
(1Ozo 12:21-24)1 Ombara Rehabeam tje ya mOjerusalem otja woronganisa ovarwe wovita ovatoororwa 180,000 momuhoko wa Benjamin nowa Juda. Eye we rimana okuyenda kovita okukayarura ko ouhona we komihoko vya Israel mbya turire keyuva kokunene. 2 Nungwari Muhona wa raera komuprofete Semaja 3 kutja a yandje ombuze ndji ku Rehabeam, ombara ya Juda, na kovandu avehe womuhoko wa Juda nowa Benjamin, ama tja: 4 “Amu karwisa Ovaisrael ovakweṋu. Yarukeye konganda amuhe. Avihe mbya tjitwa, ovyo ombango yandje.” Owo va zuva komarakiza wa Muhona nave ha karwisa Jerobeam.
Rehabeam ma zeuparisa ovihuro
5 Rehabeam wa kara mOjerusalem na zeuparisa omatungiro wovihuro mbi vya Juda novya Benjamin: 6 Betlehem na Etam na Tekoa, 7 na Bet-Sur na Soko na Adulam, 8 na Gat na Maresa na Sif, 9 na Adoraim na Lakis na Aseka, 10 na Sora na Ajalon na Hebron. 11 Eye wa zeuparisa ovihuro mbi nomasa na ziki omuhongore motjihuro atjihe na twa mo ombwiko yovikurya noyomaze womiṋinga nomavinu, 12 notuvao nomanga wina. Komuhingo mbwi eye wa ṱakamisira Juda na Benjamin kehi youhona we.
Ovapristeri nOvalevi mave ya kehi ra Juda
13 Ovapristeri nOvalevi ve ya keyuva kokumuho okukara mOjuda, okuza korukondwa aruhe rwehi ra Israel. 14 Ovalevi va isa omahi wawo womaryo nouini wawo nave tjindire kOjuda na Jerusalem, orondu Jerobeam, ombara ya Israel, novemupingene kaave vanga kutja owo ve karere Muhona otja ovapristeri. 15 Jerobeam wa zika ovapristeri ve omuini ve karere poṋa pomerikotameneno kovisenginina kozondunda, nokurikotamena kozombepo ozohakohoke na koviserekarera mbya ungurire mombunikiro yozondwezu zozongombe. 16 Okuza momihoko avihe vyOvaisrael ovandu mbaa ve vanga, tjiri, okurikotamena ku Muhona, Ndjambi wa Israel, va kongorera Ovalevi kOjerusalem, kokutja ve kapunguhire Muhona, Ndjambi wooihe mukururume, ozombunguhiro. 17 Komuhingo mbwi owo va zeuparisa ouhona wa Juda; moure wozombura ndatu va vatera Rehabeam, omuzandu wa Salomo, amave horere kovikaro vyombara David novyombara Salomo.
Eṱunḓu ra Rehabeam
18 Rehabeam wa kupire Mahalat, omusuko wa Jerimot, omuzandu wa David. Ina wa ri Abihail, omusuko wa Eliab, omuzandu wa Isai. 19 Owo va ri novazandu vetatu: OoJeus na Semarja na Saham. 20 Kombunda Rehabeam wa kupire Maaka, omusuko wa Absalom; nowo va ri novazandu vane: OoAbija na Atai na Sisa na Selomit. 21 Rehabeam wa ri novakazendu avehe kumwe omurongo na hambondatu, novakazendu ovambanda omirongo hamboumwe; eye wa kwata ovazandu omirongo vivari na hambondatu, novakazona omirongo hamboumwe movakazendu mba. Nungwari mokati kovakazendu ve avehe na imba ovambanda eye wa hurire Maaka tjinene. 22 Eye wa ingoneka Abija, omuzandu wa Maaka, povanatje ve avehe varwe, ne mu toorora kutja e mu pingene okurira ombara. 23 Rehabeam wa yandja nounongo ozondyero kovazandu ve; eye we ve zika mehi arihe ra Juda nora Benjamin movihuro mbya zeuparisiwa. Eye we ve pa oviparure ovingi tjinene ne ve pahere ovakazendu ovengi.
