When Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Binyamin, one hundred eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam. 2But the word of Allah came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3Speak to Rehoboam Ibn Sulayman, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Binyamin, saying, 4Thus says Allah, You shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers: return every man to his house; for this thing is of me. So they listened to the words of Allah, and returned from going against Jeroboam. 5Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah. 6He built Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, 7Beth Zur, and Soco, and Adullam, 8and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph, 9and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, 10and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Binyamin, fortified cities. 11He fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of food, and oil and wine. 12In every city he put shields and spears, and made them very strong. Judah and Binyamin belonged to him. 13The priests and the Levites who were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their border. 14For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons cast them off, that they should not execute the priest’s office to Allah; 15and he appointed him priests for the high places, and for the male goats, and for the calves which he had made. 16After them, out of all the tribes of Israel, such as set their hearts to seek Allah, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Allah, the God of their fathers. 17So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam Ibn Sulayman strong, three years; for they walked three years in the way of Dawud and Sulayman. 18Rehoboam took him a wife, Mahalath BintJerimoth Ibn Dawud, and of Abihail Bint Eliab Ibn Jesse; 19and she bore him sons: Jeush, and Shemariah, and Zaham. 20After her he took Maacah Bint Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith. 21Rehoboam loved Maacah Bint Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and sixty concubines, and became the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.) 22Rehoboam appointed Abijah Ibn Maacah to be chief, even the prince among his brothers; for he was minded to make him king. 23He dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Binyamin, to every fortified city: and he gave them food in abundance. He sought for them many wives.