II - Chapter 11

1When Rechovam arrived in Yerushalayim, he mustered the house of Yehuda and Binyamin, 180,000 picked fighting men, to make war with Yisrael in order to restore the kingdom to Rechovam.

אוַיָּבֹא רְחַבְעָם יְרוּשָׁלַ ִם וַיַּקְהֵל אֶת־בֵּית יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן מֵאָה וּשְׁמוֹנִים אֶלֶף בָּחוּר עֹשֵׂה מִלְחָמָה לְהִלָּחֵם עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהָשִׁיב אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָה לִרְחַבְעָם׃

2But the word of Hashem came to Shemaya, the man of Hashem:

בוַיְהִי דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה אֶל־שְׁמַעְיָהוּ אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים לֵאמֹר׃

3“Say to Rechovam son of Shlomo king of Yehuda, and to all Yisrael in Yehuda and Binyamin:

גאֱמֹר אֶל־רְחַבְעָם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹה מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וְאֶל כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּיהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן לֵאמֹר׃

4Thus said Hashem: You shall not set out to make war on your kinsmen. Let every man return to his home, for this thing has been brought about by Me.” They heeded the words of Hashem and refrained from marching against Yerovam.

KOH a-MAR a-do-NAI lo ta-a-LU v'-lo ti-LA-kha-MU im a-khay-KHEM SHU-vu EESH l'-vay-TO KEE may-i-TEE nih-YAH ha-da-VAR ha-ZEH va-yish-m'-U et div-RAY a-do-NAI va-ya-SHU-vu mi-LE-khet el ya-rov-AM

דכֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה לֹא־תַעֲלוּ וְלֹא־תִלָּחֲמוּ עִם־אֲחֵיכֶם שׁוּבוּ אִישׁ לְבֵיתוֹ כִּי מֵאִתִּי נִהְיָה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי יְהֹוָה וַיָּשֻׁבוּ מִלֶּכֶת אֶל־יָרָבְעָם׃

5Rechovam dwelt in Yerushalayim and built fortified towns in Yehuda.

הוַיֵּשֶׁב רְחַבְעָם בִּירוּשָׁלָ ִם וַיִּבֶן עָרִים לְמָצוֹר בִּיהוּדָה׃

6He built up Beit Lechem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

ווַיִּבֶן אֶת־בֵּית־לֶחֶם וְאֶת־עֵיטָם וְאֶת־תְּקוֹעַ׃

7and Beth-zur, and Soco, and Adulam,

זוְאֶת־בֵּית־צוּר וְאֶת־שׂוֹכוֹ וְאֶת־עֲדֻלָּם׃

8and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

חוְאֶת־גַּת וְאֶת־מָרֵשָׁה וְאֶת־זִיף׃

9and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azeika,

טוְאֶת־אֲדוֹרַיִם וְאֶת־לָכִישׁ וְאֶת־עֲזֵקָה׃

10and Tzora, and Aijalon, and Chevron, which are in Yehuda and in Binyamin, as fortified towns.

יוְאֶת־צָרְעָה וְאֶת־אַיָּלוֹן וְאֶת־חֶבְרוֹן אֲשֶׁר בִּיהוּדָה וּבְבִנְיָמִן עָרֵי מְצֻרוֹת׃

11He strengthened the fortified towns and put commanders in them, along with stores of food, oil, and wine,

יאוַיְחַזֵּק אֶת־הַמְּצֻרוֹת וַיִּתֵּן בָּהֶם נְגִידִים וְאֹצְרוֹת מַאֲכָל וְשֶׁמֶן וָיָיִן׃

12and shields and spears in every town. He strengthened them exceedingly; thus Yehuda and Binyamin were his.

יבוּבְכָל־עִיר וָעִיר צִנּוֹת וּרְמָחִים וַיְחַזְּקֵם לְהַרְבֵּה מְאֹד וַיְהִי־לוֹ יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן׃

13The Kohanim and the Leviim, from all their territories throughout Yisrael, presented themselves to him.

יגוְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם אֲשֶׁר בְּכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל הִתְיַצְּבוּ עָלָיו מִכָּל־גְּבוּלָם׃

14The Leviim had left their pasturelands and their holdings and had set out for Yehuda and Yerushalayim, for Yerovam and his sons had prevented them from serving Hashem,

ידכִּי־עָזְבוּ הַלְוִיִּם אֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶם וַאֲחֻזָּתָם וַיֵּלְכוּ לִיהוּדָה וְלִירוּשָׁלָ ִם כִּי־הִזְנִיחָם יָרָבְעָם וּבָנָיו מִכַּהֵן לַיהֹוָה׃

15having appointed his own Kohanim for the shrines, goat-demons, and calves which he had made.

טווַיַּעֲמֶד־לוֹ כֹּהֲנִים לַבָּמוֹת וְלַשְּׂעִירִים וְלָעֲגָלִים אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה׃

16From all the tribes of Yisrael, those intent on seeking God of Yisrael followed them to Yerushalayim, to sacrifice to God of their fathers.

טזוְאַחֲרֵיהֶם מִכֹּל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנֹּתְנִים אֶת־לְבָבָם לְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאוּ יְרוּשָׁלַ ִם לִזְבּוֹחַ לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם׃

17They strengthened the kingdom of Yehuda, and supported Rechovam son of Shlomo for three years, for they followed the ways of David and Shlomo for three years.

יזוַיְחַזְּקוּ אֶת־מַלְכוּת יְהוּדָה וַיְאַמְּצוּ אֶת־רְחַבְעָם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹה לְשָׁנִים שָׁלוֹשׁ כִּי הָלְכוּ בְּדֶרֶךְ דָּוִיד וּשְׁלֹמֹה לְשָׁנִים שָׁלוֹשׁ׃

18Rechovam married Mahalath daughter of Jerimoth son of David, and Avichayil daughter of Eliav son of Yishai.

יחוַיִּקַּח־לוֹ רְחַבְעָם אִשָּׁה אֶת־מָחֲלַת בן־[בַּת־] יְרִימוֹת בֶּן־דָּוִיד אֲבִיהַיִל בַּת־אֱלִיאָב בֶּן־יִשָׁי׃

19She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

יטוַתֵּלֶד לוֹ בָּנִים אֶת־יְעוּשׁ וְאֶת־שְׁמַרְיָה וְאֶת־זָהַם׃

20He then took Maacah daughter of Avshalom; she bore him Aviya, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.

כוְאַחֲרֶיהָ לָקַח אֶת־מַעֲכָה בַּת־אַבְשָׁלוֹם וַתֵּלֶד לוֹ אֶת־אֲבִיָּה וְאֶת־עַתַּי וְאֶת־זִיזָא וְאֶת־שְׁלֹמִית׃

21Rechovam loved Maacah daughter of Avshalom more than his other wives and concubines—for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines; he begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

כאוַיֶּאֱהַב רְחַבְעָם אֶת־מַעֲכָה בַת־אַבְשָׁלוֹם מִכָּל־נָשָׁיו וּפִילַגְשָׁיו כִּי נָשִׁים שְׁמוֹנֶה־עֶשְׂרֵה נָשָׂא וּפִילַגְשִׁים שִׁשִּׁים וַיּוֹלֶד עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁמוֹנָה בָּנִים וְשִׁשִּׁים בָּנוֹת׃

22Rechovam designated Aviya son of Maacah as chief and leader among his brothers, for he intended him to be his successor.

כבוַיַּעֲמֵד לָרֹאשׁ רְחַבְעָם אֶת־אֲבִיָּה בֶן־מַעֲכָה לְנָגִיד בְּאֶחָיו כִּי לְהַמְלִיכוֹ׃

23He prudently distributed all his sons throughout the regions of Yehuda and Binyamin and throughout the fortified towns; he provided them with abundant food, and he sought many wives for them.

כגוַיָּבֶן וַיִּפְרֹץ מִכָּל־בָּנָיו לְכָל־אַרְצוֹת יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן לְכֹל עָרֵי הַמְּצֻרוֹת וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם הַמָּזוֹן לָרֹב וַיִּשְׁאַל הֲמוֹן נָשִׁים׃