1 When Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem, he mobilized the men of Judah and Benjamin—180,000 select troops—to fight against Israel and to restore the kingdom to himself.
2 But the lord said to Shemaiah, the man of God,
3 “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin:
4 ‘This is what the lord says: Do not fight against your relatives. Go back home, for what has happened is my doing!’” So they obeyed the message of the lord and did not fight against Jeroboam.
5 Rehoboam remained in Jerusalem and fortified various towns for the defense of Judah.
6 He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,