When God Says Stand Down.

וַיָּבֹ֣א רְחַבְעָם֮ יְרוּשָׁלִַם֒ וַיַּקְהֵל֩ אֶת־בֵּ֨ית יְהוּדָ֜ה וּבִנְיָמִ֗ן מֵאָ֨ה וּשְׁמוֹנִ֥ים אֶ֛לֶף בָּח֖וּר עֹשֵׂ֣ה מִלְחָמָ֑ה לְהִלָּחֵם֙ עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְהָשִׁ֥יב אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה לִרְחַבְעָֽם׃ פ

When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.

וַיְהִי֙ דְּבַר־יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־שְׁמַֽעְיָ֥הוּ אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים לֵאמֹֽר׃

[2] But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God:

אֱמֹ֕ר אֶל־רְחַבְעָ֥ם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה וְאֶל֙ כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בִּיהוּדָ֥ה וּבִנְיָמִ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃

[3] “Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin,

כֹּ֣ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֡ה לֹא־תַעֲלוּ֩ וְלֹא־תִלָּ֨חֲמ֜וּ עִם־אֲחֵיכֶ֗ם שׁ֚וּבוּ אִ֣ישׁ לְבֵית֔וֹ כִּ֧י מֵֽאִתִּ֛י נִהְיָ֖ה הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וַֽיִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ מִלֶּ֥כֶת אֶל־יָרָבְעָֽם׃ פ

[4] ‘Thus says the Lord , You shall not go up or fight against your relatives. Return every man to his home, for this thing is from me.’” So they listened to the word of the Lord and returned and did not go against Jeroboam.

וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב רְחַבְעָ֖ם בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וַיִּ֧בֶן עָרִ֛ים לְמָצ֖וֹר בִּיהוּדָֽה׃

[5] Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and he built cities for defense in Judah.

וַיִּ֧בֶן אֶת־בֵּֽית־לֶ֛חֶם וְאֶת־עֵיטָ֖ם וְאֶת־תְּקֽוֹעַ׃

[6] He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

וְאֶת־בֵּֽית־צ֥וּר וְאֶת־שׂוֹכ֖וֹ וְאֶת־עֲדֻלָּֽם׃

[7] Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,

וְאֶת־גַּ֥ת וְאֶת־מָרֵשָׁ֖ה וְאֶת־זִֽיף׃

[8] Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,

וְאֶת־אֲדוֹרַ֥יִם וְאֶת־לָכִ֖ישׁ וְאֶת־עֲזֵקָֽה׃

[9] Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

וְאֶת־צָרְעָה֙ וְאֶת־אַיָּל֔וֹן וְאֶת־חֶבְר֔וֹן אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּיהוּדָ֖ה וּבְבִנְיָמִ֑ן עָרֵ֖י מְצֻרֽוֹת׃

[10] Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, fortified cities that are in Judah and in Benjamin.

וַיְחַזֵּ֖ק אֶת־הַמְּצֻר֑וֹת וַיִּתֵּ֤ן בָּהֶם֙ נְגִידִ֔ים וְאֹצְר֥וֹת מַאֲכָ֖ל וְשֶׁ֥מֶן וָיָֽיִן׃

[11] He made the fortresses strong, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine.

וּבְכָל־עִ֤יר וָעִיר֙ צִנּ֣וֹת וּרְמָחִ֔ים וַֽיְחַזְּקֵ֖ם לְהַרְבֵּ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד וַיְהִי־ל֖וֹ יְהוּדָ֥ה וּבִנְיָמִֽן׃ ס

[12] And he put shields and spears in all the cities and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin.

וְהַכֹּהֲנִים֙ וְהַלְוִיִּ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הִֽתְיַצְּב֥וּ עָלָ֖יו מִכָּל־גְּבוּלָֽם׃

[13] And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel presented themselves to him from all places where they lived.

כִּֽי־עָזְב֣וּ הַלְוִיִּ֗ם אֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶם֙ וַאֲחֻזָּתָ֔ם וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ לִיהוּדָ֖ה וְלִֽירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם כִּֽי־הִזְנִיחָ֤ם יָֽרָבְעָם֙ וּבָנָ֔יו מִכַּהֵ֖ן לַיהוָֽה׃

[14] For the Levites left their common lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons cast them out from serving as priests of the Lord ,

וַיַּֽעֲמֶד־לוֹ֙ כֹּֽהֲנִ֔ים לַבָּמ֖וֹת וְלַשְּׂעִירִ֑ים וְלָעֲגָלִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה׃

[15] and he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat idols and for the calves that he had made.

וְאַחֲרֵיהֶ֗ם מִכֹּל֙ שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַנֹּֽתְנִים֙ אֶת־לְבָבָ֔ם לְבַקֵּ֕שׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בָּ֚אוּ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם לִזְבּ֕וֹחַ לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃

[16] And those who had set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord , the God of their fathers.

וַֽיְחַזְּקוּ֙ אֶת־מַלְכ֣וּת יְהוּדָ֔ה וַֽיְאַמְּצ֛וּ אֶת־רְחַבְעָ֥ם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לְשָׁנִ֣ים שָׁל֑וֹשׁ כִּ֣י הָֽלְכ֗וּ בְּדֶ֧רֶךְ דָּוִ֛יד וּשְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לְשָׁנִ֥ים שָׁלֽוֹשׁ׃

[17] They strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they made Rehoboam the son of Solomon secure, for they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon.

וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ל֤וֹ רְחַבְעָם֙ אִשָּׁ֔ה אֶת־מָ֣חֲלַ֔ת ׳בֶּן־בַּת־יְרִימ֖וֹת׳ בֶּן־דָּוִ֑יד אֲבִיהַ֕יִל בַּת־אֱלִיאָ֖ב בֶּן־יִשָֽׁי׃

[18] Rehoboam took as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse,

וַתֵּ֥לֶד ל֖וֹ בָּנִ֑ים אֶת־יְע֥וּשׁ וְאֶת־שְׁמַרְיָ֖ה וְאֶת־זָֽהַם׃

[19] and she bore him sons, Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

וְאַחֲרֶ֣יהָ לָקַ֔ח אֶֽת־מַעֲכָ֖ה בַּת־אַבְשָׁל֑וֹם וַתֵּ֣לֶד ל֗וֹ אֶת־אֲבִיָּה֙ וְאֶת־עַתַּ֔י וְאֶת־זִיזָ֖א וְאֶת־שְׁלֹמִֽית׃

[20] After her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.

וַיֶּאֱהַ֨ב רְחַבְעָ֜ם אֶת־מַעֲכָ֣ה בַת־אַבְשָׁל֗וֹם מִכָּל־נָשָׁיו֙ וּפִ֣ילַגְשָׁ֔יו כִּ֠י נָשִׁ֤ים שְׁמוֹנֶֽה־עֶשְׂרֵה֙ נָשָׂ֔א וּפִֽילַגְשִׁ֖ים שִׁשִּׁ֑ים וַיּ֗וֹלֶד עֶשְׂרִ֧ים וּשְׁמוֹנָ֛ה בָּנִ֖ים וְשִׁשִּׁ֥ים בָּנֽוֹת׃

[21] Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and concubines (he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters).

וַיַּֽעֲמֵ֨ד לָרֹ֧אשׁ רְחַבְעָ֛ם אֶת־אֲבִיָּ֥ה בֶֽן־מַעֲכָ֖ה לְנָגִ֣יד בְּאֶחָ֑יו כִּ֖י לְהַמְלִיכֽוֹ׃

[22] And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, for he intended to make him king.

וַיָּבֶן֩ וַיִּפְרֹ֨ץ מִכָּל־בָּנָ֜יו לְֽכָל־אַרְצ֧וֹת יְהוּדָ֣ה וּבִנְיָמִ֗ן לְכֹל֙ עָרֵ֣י הַמְּצֻר֔וֹת וַיִּתֵּ֥ן לָהֶ֛ם הַמָּז֖וֹן לָרֹ֑ב וַיִּשְׁאַ֖ל הֲמ֥וֹן נָשִֽׁים׃

[23] And he dealt wisely and distributed some of his sons through all the districts of Judah and Benjamin, in all the fortified cities, and he gave them abundant provisions and procured wives for them.