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¹ And when Rehoboam was come to Hierusalem, he gathered of the house of Iuda and Beniamin, nine score thousand chosen men of warre, to fight against Israel, & to bring the kingdome againe to Rehoboam.² And the worde of the Lorde came to Semiahu the man of God, saying:³ Speake vnto Rehoboam the sonne of Solomon king of Iuda, & to all them of Israel that are in Iuda and Beniamin, and say:⁴ Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go vp nor fight against your brethren: returne euery man to his house, for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the wordes of the Lorde, and returned from going against Ieroboam.⁵ And Rehoboam dwelt in Hierusalem, and built strong cities in Iuda.⁶ He built vp Bethlehem, & Etam, and Thekoa,⁷ Bethzur, Socho, and Adullam,⁸ Gath, and Maresa, and Ziph,⁹ Adurahim, Lachis, and Azecah,¹⁰ Zoraa, Aialon, and Hebron, which is in Iuda and Beniamin, strong cities.¹¹ And he repaired the strong holdes, and put captaynes in them, and store of vittaile, and wine, and oyle:¹² And in all cities he put shieldes and speares, & made them exceeding strong, hauing Iuda and Beniamin on his syde.

¹³ And the priestes and the Leuites that were in all Israel, resorted to him out of all their coastes.¹⁴ For the Leuites left their suburbes, and their possession, and came to Iuda and Hierusalem: For Ieroboam and his sonnes had cast them out from ministring vnto the Lorde.¹⁵ And he ordayned him priestes for the high places, for the deuils, and for the calues which he had made.¹⁶ And after the Leuites, there went out all the tribes of Israel, such as submitted their heartes to seeke the Lord God of Israel, and came to Hierusalem to offer vnto the Lorde God of their fathers.¹⁷ And so they strengthed the kingdome of Iuda, & made Rehoboam the sonne of Solomon mightie three yeres long: for three yeres they walked in the way of Dauid and Solomon.¹⁸ And Rehoboam toke him Mahalath the daughter of Ierimoth the sonne of Dauid to wyfe, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the sonne of Isai.¹⁹ Which bare him children, Ieus, Samaria, and Zaham.²⁰ And after her he toke Maacha the daughter of Absolon, which bare him Abia, Atthai, Ziza, and Selomith.²¹ And Rehoboam loued Maacha the daughter of Absolo aboue al his wyues and concubines: for he toke eyghteene wyues and threescore concubines, and begat twentie and eyght sonnes & threescore daughters.²² And Rehoboam made Abia the sonne of Maacha, the chiefe ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king.²³ And he played wyselie, and scattered all his children throughout al the countryes of Iuda and Beniamin vnto euery strong citie, and he gaue them aboundaunce of vittaile, and obtayned many wyues.