Rehoboamרְחַבְעָםcameוַיָּבֹאto Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַםand assembledוַיַּקְהֵלthe houseבֵּיתof Judahיְהוּדָהand Benjamin,וּבִנְיָמִןa hundredמֵאָהand eightyוּשְׁמוֹנִיםthousandאֶלֶףchosenבָּחוּרwarriors,עֹשֵׂה מִלְחָמָהto fightלְהִלָּחֵםagainstעִםIsrael,יִשְׂרָאֵלto bring backלְהָשִׁיבthe kingdomהַמַּמְלָכָהto Rehoboam.לִרְחַבְעָם
But the wordוַ דְּבַרof YHWHיְהוָהcameיְהִיtoאֶלShemaiah,שְׁמַעְיָהוּthe manאִישׁof Elohim,הָאֱלֹהִיםsaying,לֵאמֹר
“SayאֱמֹרtoאֶלRehoboamרְחַבְעָםsonבֶּןof Solomon,שְׁלֹמֹהkingמֶלֶךְof Judah,יְהוּדָהand toוְאֶלallכָּלIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלin Judahבִּיהוּדָהand Benjamin,וּבִנְיָמִןsaying,לֵאמֹר
‘ThusכֹּהsaysאָמַרYHWH:יְהוָהYou shall notלֹאgo upתַעֲלוּand you shall notוְלֹאfightתִלָּחֲמוּagainstעִםyour brothers.אֲחֵיכֶםReturn,שׁוּבוּeach oneאִישׁto his house,לְבֵיתוֹforכִּיthisהַזֶּהthingהַדָּבָרhas come aboutנִהְיָהfrom me.’”מֵאִתִּיSo they listened toוַיִּשְׁמְעוּthe wordsדִּבְרֵיof YHWH,יְהוָהand turned backוַיָּשֻׁבוּfrom goingמִלֶּכֶתagainstאֶלJeroboam.יָרָבְעָם
Rehoboamרְחַבְעָםlivedוַיֵּשֶׁבin Jerusalem,בִּירוּשָׁלִָםand he builtוַיִּבֶןcitiesעָרִיםas fortressesלְמָצוֹרin Judah.בִּיהוּדָה
He builtוַיִּבֶןBethlehem,בֵּית לֶחֶםEtam,וְ עֵיטָםTekoa,וְ תְּקוֹעַ
Beth-zur,וְ בֵּית צוּרSoco,וְ שׂוֹכוֹAdullam,וְ עֲדֻלָּם
Gath,וְ גַּתMareshah,וְ מָרֵשָׁהZiph,וְ זִיף
Adoraim,וְ אֲדוֹרַיִםLachish,וְ לָכִישׁAzekah,וְ עֲזֵקָה
Zorah,וְ צָרְעָהAijalon,וְ אַיָּלוֹןand Hebron,וְ חֶבְרוֹןwhich areאֲשֶׁרin Judahבִּיהוּדָהand in Benjamin,וּבְבִנְיָמִןfortifiedמְצֻרוֹתcities.עָרֵי
He strengthenedוַיְחַזֵּקthe fortressesהַמְּצֻרוֹתand putוַיִּתֵּןin themבָּהֶםleaders,נְגִידִיםand storesוְאֹצְרוֹתof food,מַאֲכָלoil,וְשֶׁמֶןand wine.וָיָיִן
And in every single cityוּבְכָל עִיר וָעִירhe put large shieldsצִנּוֹתand spears,וּרְמָחִיםand he strengthened themוַיְחַזְּקֵםvery greatly.לְהַרְבֵּה מְאֹדSo Judahוַיְהִי יְהוּדָהand Benjaminוּבִנְיָמִןwere his.לוֹ
The priestsוְהַכֹּהֲנִיםand the Levitesוְהַלְוִיִּםwho wereאֲשֶׁרin allבְּכָלIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלpresented themselvesהִתְיַצְּבוּto himעָלָיוfrom allמִכָּלtheir territory.גְּבוּלָם
Forכִּיthe Levitesהַלְוִיִּםabandonedעָזְבוּtheir pasturelandsמִגְרְשֵׁיהֶםand their possessionוַאֲחֻזָּתָםand wentוַיֵּלְכוּto Judahלִיהוּדָהand to Jerusalem,וְלִירוּשָׁלִָםforכִּיJeroboamיָרָבְעָםand his sonsוּבָנָיוhad rejected themהִזְנִיחָםfrom serving as priestsמִכַּהֵןto YHWH.לַיהוָה
He appointedוַיַּעֲמֶדfor himselfלוֹpriestsכֹּהֲנִיםfor the high places,לַבָּמוֹתfor the male goats,וְלַשְּׂעִירִיםand for the calvesוְלָעֲגָלִיםthatאֲשֶׁרhe had made.עָשָׂה
And after them,וְאַחֲרֵיהֶםfrom allמִכֹּלthe tribesשִׁבְטֵיof Israel,יִשְׂרָאֵלthose who gaveהַנֹּתְנִיםtheir heartאֶת לְבָבָםto seekלְבַקֵּשׁYHWH,אֶת יְהוָהthe Elohimאֱלֹהֵיof Israel,יִשְׂרָאֵלcameבָּאוּto Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַםto sacrificeלִזְבּוֹחַto YHWH,לַיהוָהthe Elohimאֱלֹהֵיof their fathers.אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם
They strengthenedוַיְחַזְּקוּthe kingdomאֶת מַלְכוּתof Judahיְהוּדָהand made firmוַיְאַמְּצוּRehoboamאֶת רְחַבְעָםsonבֶּןof Solomonשְׁלֹמֹהfor threeלְ שָׁלוֹשׁyears,שָׁנִיםforכִּיthey walkedהָלְכוּin the wayבְּדֶרֶךְof Davidדָּוִידand Solomonוּשְׁלֹמֹהfor threeלְ שָׁלוֹשׁyears.שָׁנִים
Rehoboamרְחַבְעָםtookוַיִּקַּחas his wifeלוֹ אִשָּׁהMahalathמָחֲלַתdaughterבַּתof Jerimothיְרִימוֹתsonבֶּןof David,דָּוִידand of Abihailאֲבִיהַיִלdaughterבַּתof Eliabאֱלִיאָבsonבֶּןof Jesse.יִשָׁי
She boreוַתֵּלֶדhimלוֹsons:בָּנִיםJeush,אֶת יְעוּשׁShemariah,וְאֶת שְׁמַרְיָהand Zaham.וְאֶת זָהַם
After herוְאַחֲרֶיהָhe tookלָקַחMaacahאֶת מַעֲכָהdaughterבַּתof Absalom,אַבְשָׁלוֹםand she boreוַתֵּלֶדhimלוֹAbijah,אֶת אֲבִיָּהAttai,וְאֶת עַתַּיZiza,וְאֶת זִיזָאand Shelomith.וְאֶת שְׁלֹמִית
RehoboamרְחַבְעָםlovedוַיֶּאֱהַבMaacahאֶת מַעֲכָהdaughterבַתof Absalomאַבְשָׁלוֹםmore than allמִכָּלhis wivesנָשָׁיוand his concubines,וּפִילַגְשָׁיוforכִּיhe tookנָשָׂאeighteenשְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵהwivesנָשִׁיםand sixtyוּ שִׁשִּׁיםconcubines,פִילַגְשִׁיםand he fatheredוַיּוֹלֶדtwenty-eightעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁמוֹנָהsonsבָּנִיםand sixtyוְשִׁשִּׁיםdaughters.בָּנוֹת
RehoboamרְחַבְעָםappointedוַיַּעֲמֵדAbijahאֶת אֲבִיָּהsonבֶןof Maacahמַעֲכָהas head,לָרֹאשׁas leaderלְנָגִידamong his brothers,בְּאֶחָיוforכִּיhe intended to make him king.לְהַמְלִיכוֹ
He acted with understandingוַיָּבֶןand distributedוַיִּפְרֹץallמִכָּלhis sonsבָּנָיוthrough allלְכָלthe landsאַרְצוֹתof Judahיְהוּדָהand Benjamin,וּבִנְיָמִןto allלְכֹלthe fortifiedהַמְּצֻרוֹתcities,עָרֵיand he gaveוַיִּתֵּןthemלָהֶםprovisionsהַמָּזוֹןin abundance,לָרֹבand he asked forוַיִּשְׁאַלa multitudeהֲמוֹןof wives for them.נָשִׁים