Shemaiah's Prophecy
(1 Kings 12.21-24)1 When King Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he called together 180,000 of the best soldiers from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah. He intended to go to war and restore his control over the northern tribes of Israel. 2 But the Lord told the prophet Shemaiah 3 to give this message to King Rehoboam and to all the people of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin: 4 “Do not attack your own relatives. Go home, all of you. What has happened is my will.” They obeyed the Lord's command and did not go to fight Jeroboam.
Rehoboam Fortifies the Cities
5 Rehoboam remained in Jerusalem and had fortifications built for the following cities of Judah and Benjamin: 6 Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Bethzur, Soco, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. 11 He had them strongly fortified and appointed a commander for each of them, and in each one he placed supplies of food, olive oil, and wine, 12 and also shields and spears. In this way he kept Judah and Benjamin under his control.
Priests and Levites Come to Judah
13 From all the territory of Israel priests and Levites came south to Judah. 14 The Levites abandoned their pastures and other land and moved to Judah and Jerusalem, because King Jeroboam of Israel and his successors would not let them serve as priests of the Lord. 15 Jeroboam appointed priests of his own to serve at the pagan places of worship and to worship demons and the idols he made in the form of bull-calves. 16 From all the tribes of Israel people who sincerely wanted to worship the Lord, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem, so that they could offer sacrifices to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 17 This strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they supported Rehoboam son of Solomon and lived as they had under the rule of King David and King 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 They had three sons, Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 20 Later he married Maacah, the daughter of Absalom, and they had four sons: Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 In all, Rehoboam had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. Of all his wives and concubines he loved Maacah best, 22 and he favored her son Abijah over all his other children, choosing him as the one to succeed him as king. 23 Rehoboam wisely assigned responsibilities to his sons and stationed them throughout Judah and Benjamin in the fortified cities. He provided generously for them and also secured many wives for 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.
