The Divided Kingdom

he built Beit-Lechem, 'Eitam, T'koa,

Beit-Tzur, Sokho, 'Adulam,

Gat, Mareshah, Zif,

Adorayim, Lakhish, 'Azekah,

Tzor'ah, Ayalon and Hevron; these are fortified cities in Y'hudah and Binyamin.

He fortified the strongholds, appointed captains in charge of them and supplied them with food, olive oil and wine.

In every city he put shields and spears, making them very strong. Y'hudah and Binyamin stuck with him.

The cohanim and L'vi'im from wherever they lived throughout all Isra'el made themselves available to Rechav'am.

The L'vi'im left their pasture lands and property and came to Y'hudah and Yerushalayim; since Yarov'am and his sons had thrown them out, not allowing them to function as cohanim for ADONAI,

and had appointed for himself cohanim for the high places and for the images of goat-demons and calves that he had made.

Those from all the tribes of Isra'el who had set their hearts on seeking ADONAI, the God of Isra'el, followed them to Yerushalayim to sacrifice to ADONAI, the God of their fathers.

For three years they strengthened the kingdom of Y'hudah and made Rechav'am the son of Shlomo strong, because for three years they followed the way of life of David and Shlomo.

Rechav'am married Machalat the daughter of Yerimot the son of David and Avichayil the daughter of Eli'av the son of Yishai;

and she became the mother of his sons Ye'ush, Sh'maryah and Zaham.

After her, he married Ma'akhah the daughter of Avshalom; she became the mother of Aviyah, 'Atai, Ziza and Shlomit.

Rechav'am loved Ma'akhah more than all his other wives and concubines - for he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines and was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

Rechav'am appointed Aviyah the son of Ma'akhah chief, the leader of his brothers, because he intended to make him king.

He was wise in his treatment of his sons, sending all of them throughout the territory of Y'hudah and Binyamin, to every fortified city, providing them with plenty of supplies and seeking for them many wives.

But in time, after Rechav'am had consolidated his rulership and had become strong, he, and with him all Isra'el, abandoned the Torah of ADONAI.

In the fifth year of King Rechav'am, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Yerushalayim, because they had acted faithlessly toward ADONAI.

He came out of Egypt with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen and a numberless army including Luvim, Suki'im and Ethiopians.

He captured the fortified cities of Y'hudah, then went to Yerushalayim.

Now Sh'ma'yah the prophet came to Rechav'am and the leaders of Y'hudah who had gathered in Yerushalayim because of Shishak and said to them, "Here is what ADONAI says: 'Because you have abandoned me, I have abandoned you to the hands of Shishak.'"

In response, the leaders of Isra'el and the king humbled themselves; they said, "ADONAI is right."

When ADONAI saw that they had humbled themselves, this word of ADONAI came to Sh'ma'yah: "Because they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will grant them a measure of deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Yerushalayim through Shishak.