And Reḥav'am came to Yerushalayim, and he assembled the house of Yehudah and Binyamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, makers of war, to fight with Yisra'el, to return the kingdom to Reḥav'am.

And the word of יהוה came to Shem'ayah the man of Elohim, saying:

Speak to Reḥav'am son of Shelomoh, king of Yehudah, and to all Yisra'el in Yehudah and Binyamin, saying:

'Thus says יהוה, You shall not go up, nor shall you fight against your brothers. Return, each man to his house, for from Me this matter came.' And they heard the words of יהוה, and they returned from going against Yarov'am.

And Reḥav'am settled in Yerushalayim, and he built cities for fortification in Yehudah.

And he built Beit-Leḥem, and Eytam, and Teqo'a.

And Beit-Tsur, and Sokho, and 'Adullam.

And Gat, and Mareyshah, and Zif.

And 'Adorayim, and Lakish, and 'Azeqah.

And Tsore'ah, and Ayalon, and Ḥevron, which are in Yehudah and in Binyamin, fortified cities.

And he strengthened the fortifications, and he put in them commanders, and stores of food, and oil, and wine.

And in every city, shields and spears, and he strengthened them very greatly. And Yehudah and Binyamin were his.

And the priests and the Levites who were in all Yisra'el stood with him from all their territory.

For the Levites abandoned their pastures and their holdings, and they went to Yehudah and to Yerushalayim, for Yarov'am and his sons had rejected them from serving יהוה as priests.

And he appointed for himself priests for the high places, and for the goat demons, and for the calves which he made.

And after them, from all the tribes of Yisra'el, those setting their heart to seek יהוה, Elohim of Yisra'el, came to Yerushalayim to sacrifice to יהוה, Elohim of their fathers.

And they strengthened the kingdom of Yehudah, and they made Reḥav'am son of Shelomoh strong for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Shelomoh for three years.

And Reḥav'am took for himself a wife, Maḥalat daughter of Yerimot son of David, daughter of Eliyab son of Yishay.

And she bore him sons: Ye'ush, and Shemaryah, and Zoham.

And after her, he took Ma'akah daughter of Avshalom, and she bore him Aviyah, and 'Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomit.

And Reḥav'am loved Ma'akah daughter of Avshalom more than all his wives and concubines, for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

And Reḥav'am appointed Aviyah son of Ma'akah as chief among his brothers, for he intended to make him king.

And he acted wisely, and he dispersed his sons throughout all the lands of Yehudah and Binyamin, to all the fortified cities. And he gave them abundant provisions, and he sought many wives.