1 Quando Roboão chegou a Jerusalém, reuniu cento e oitenta mil dos melhores soldados das tribos de Judá e de Benjamim, pois tinha a intenção de lutar contra as tribos do Reino do Norte e ser o rei delas de novo. 2 Mas o Senhor Deus falou ao profeta Semaías e mandou 3 que desse ao rei Roboão e a todo o povo das tribos de Judá e de Benjamim o seguinte recado: 4 "Não ataquem os seus próprios irmãos, o povo de Israel. Voltem todos para casa! Se tudo aconteceu assim, foi porque eu, o Senhor Deus, quis."

Então eles obedeceram à ordem do Senhor e não foram lutar contra Jeroboão.

5 Roboão ficou morando em Jerusalém e, para defender o país, construiu muralhas e fortalezas nas seguintes cidades de Judá e de Benjamim: 6 Belém, Etã, Tecoa, 7 Bete-Zur, Socó, Adulã, 8 Gate, Maressa, Zife, 9 Adoraim, Laquis, Azeca, 10 Zora, Aijalom e Hebrom. 11 Roboão colocou comandantes nessas cidades-fortaleza e nelas armazenou cereais, azeite e vinho. 12 Também colocou escudos e lanças em todas elas e com isso as tornou muito fortes. Assim Roboão pôde dominar os territórios de Judá e de Benjamim.

13 De todas as partes de Israel, no Norte, sacerdotes e levitas foram até Jerusalém. 14 Os levitas abandonaram as suas terras de pastagem e as suas outras posses e foram para Judá e para Jerusalém; pois Jeroboão, rei de Israel, e os seus sucessores não deixavam que eles servissem a Deus, o Senhor, como sacerdotes. 15 Jeroboão escolheu os seus próprios sacerdotes para oferecerem sacrifícios em altares pagãos e adorarem demônios e as imagens de touros que ele tinha mandado fazer. 16 Pessoas de todas as tribos de Israel que, com todo o coração, queriam adorar o Senhor, o Deus de Israel, seguiram os levitas até Jerusalém para oferecer sacrifícios ao Senhor, o Deus dos seus antepassados. 17 Isso serviu para tornar mais forte o Reino de Judá e firmar o poder de Roboão, filho de Salomão, como rei durante os três anos em que ele seguiu o exemplo de Davi e de Salomão.

18 Roboão casou com Maalate; o pai dela era Jerimote, filho de Davi, e a mãe era Abiail, filha de Eliabe e neta de Jessé. 19 Maalate teve três filhos: Jeús, Semarias e Zaão. 20 Depois Roboão casou com Maacá, filha de Absalão, e ela teve quatro filhos: Abias, Atai, Ziza e Selomite. 21 Roboão teve ao todo dezoito mulheres e sessenta concubinas, que lhe deram vinte e oito filhos e sessenta filhas. Ele amava Maacá mais do que as outras mulheres e concubinas 22 e por isso escolheu Abias, o filho dela, para ser o príncipe herdeiro, que ficaria no lugar dele como rei de Judá. 23 Roboão também teve a boa ideia de espalhar os seus outros filhos pelas cidades-fortaleza de Judá e de Benjamim. Deu-lhes grandes quantidades de alimentos e também arranjou muitas mulheres para eles.

1 And Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, and got together the men of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand of his best fighting-men, to make war against Israel and get the kingdom back for Rehoboam.2 But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, the man of God, saying,3 Say to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin,4 The Lord has said, You are not to go to war against your brothers: let every man go back to his house, for this thing is my purpose. So they gave ear to the words of the Lord and were turned back from fighting against Jeroboam.5 Now Rehoboam kept in Jerusalem, building walled towns in Judah.6 He was the builder of Beth-lehem and Etam and Tekoa7 And Beth-zur and Soco and Adullam8 And Gath and Mareshah and Ziph9 And Adoraim and Lachish and Azekah10 And Zorah and Aijalon and Hebron, walled towns in Judah and Benjamin.11 And he made the walled towns strong, and he put captains in them and stores of food, oil, and wine.12 And in every town he put stores of body-covers and spears, and made them very strong. And Judah and Benjamin were his.13 And the priests and Levites who were in all Israel came together to him from every part of their country.14 For the Levites gave up their living-places and their property, and came to Judah and Jerusalem; for Jeroboam and his sons had sent them away, not letting them be priests to the Lord;15 And he himself made priests for the high places, and for the images of he-goats and oxen which he had made.16 And after them, from all the tribes of Israel, all those whose hearts were fixed and true to the Lord, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to make offerings to the Lord, the God of their fathers.17 So they went on increasing the power of the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, strong for three years; and for three years they went in the ways of David and Solomon.18 And Rehoboam took as his wife Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, the son of David and of Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, the son of Jesse;19 And she had sons by him, Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.20 And after her he took Maacah, the daughter of Absalom; and she had Abijah and Attai and Ziza and Shelomith by him.21 Maacah, the daughter of Absalom, was dearer to Rehoboam than all his wives and his servant-wives: (for he had eighteen wives and sixty servant-wives, and was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.)22 Rehoboam made Abijah, the son of Maacah, chief and ruler among his brothers, for it was his purpose to make him king.23 And in his wisdom he had his sons stationed in every walled town through all the lands of Judah and Benjamin; and he gave them a great store of food, and took wives for them.