2 But a message came to Shemaiah from the Lord. He was a man of God. The Lord said to him,
3 "Speak to Solomon's son Rehoboam, the king of Judah. Speak to all of the people of Israel in Judah and Benjamin. Tell them,
4 'The Lord says, "Do not go up to fight against your relatives. I want every one of you to go back home. Things have happened exactly the way I planned them." ' " So the fighting men obeyed the Lord's message. They turned back. They didn't march out against Jeroboam.
5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem. He made Judah more secure by building up their towns.
6 He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
7 Beth Zur, Soco and Adullam.
8 He also built up Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,