The Daily Audio Bible

11 Forsooth Rehoboam came into Jerusalem, and he called together all the house of Judah and of Benjamin, unto ninescore thousand of chosen men and warriors, for to fight against Israel, and for to turn again his realm to him (and to bring back his kingdom to him).

² And the word of the Lord was made to Shemaiah, the man of God, and said,

³ Speak thou to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel, which is in Judah and Benjamin; (and say,) (Speak thou to Solomon’s son Rehoboam, the king of Judah, and to all Israel, who be in Judah and Benjamin; and say,)

⁴ The Lord saith these things, Ye shall not go up, neither ye shall fight against your brethren; each man turn again to his house, for this thing is done by my will. And when they had heard the word of the Lord, they turned again, and went not against king Jeroboam. (The Lord saith these things, Ye shall not go up, nor shall ye fight against your kinsmen; each man return to his house, for this thing is done by my will. And when they had heard the word of the Lord, they returned to their homes, and did not go up against King Jeroboam.)

⁵ And Rehoboam dwelled in Jerusalem, and he builded walled cities in Judah; (And Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and he built walls for many cities in Judah;)

⁶ and he builded Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, (yea, he fortified Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,)

⁷ and Bethzur; and Shoco, and Adullam;

⁸ also and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph;

⁹ but also Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah;

¹⁰ and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which were in Judah and Benjamin, full strong cities (all well-fortified cities).

¹¹ And when he had closed those with walls, he set princes in them, and barns of meats, that is, of oil, and of wine. (And when he had enclosed them with walls, he put leaders in them, and storehouses of food, and oil, and wine.)

¹² But also in each city he made places of armours of shields, and spears, and he made those strong with most diligence; and he reigned on Judah and Benjamin. (And also in each city he made places for arms, or for weapons, that is, for shields and spears, and he fortified the cities with most diligence; and so he reigned upon Judah and Benjamin.)

¹³ And the priests and the deacons, that were in all Israel, came to Rehoboam from all their cities, (And the priests and the Levites, who were in all Israel, came to Rehoboam from all their cities,)

¹⁴ and they forsook their suburbs and their possessions, and they passed into Judah and to Jerusalem (and they abandoned their suburbs and their possessions, and they went to Judah and Jerusalem); for Jeroboam and his after-comers had cast them away, that they should not be set in the priesthood of the Lord;

¹⁵ the which Jeroboam made to him[self] priests of high places, and of fiends, and of calves, which he had made. (and Jeroboam made for himself priests for the hill shrines, and for the fiends, and for the calves, or the idols, which he had made.)

¹⁶ But also of all the lineages of Israel, whichever gave their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel, they came to Jerusalem for to offer their sacrifices before the Lord God of their fathers. (And from all the tribes of Israel, whoever gave their heart to seek after the Lord God of Israel, they came to Jerusalem, to offer their sacrifices to the Lord God of their fathers.)

¹⁷ And they strengthened the realm of Judah, and strengthened Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, by three years; for they went in the ways of David, and of Solomon, only by three years. (And so they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and Solomon’s son Rehoboam, for three years; for they went in the ways of David, and Solomon, but only for three years.)

¹⁸ Forsooth Rehoboam wedded a wife, Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, the son of David, and (of) Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, the son of Jesse;

¹⁹ and she childed to him sons (and she bare for him three sons), Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.

²⁰ Also after this wife he took Maachah, the daughter of Absalom, and she childed to him Abijah (and she bare for him Abijah), and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

²¹ And Rehoboam loved Maachah, the daughter of Absalom, above all his wives and his secondary wives. And he had wedded eighteen wives, and he had sixty secondary wives; and he begat eight and twenty sons, and sixty daughters (And he wedded eighteen wives, and he had sixty concubines; and he begat twenty-eight sons, and sixty daughters).

²² And he ordained Abijah, the son of Maachah, the head, (and) duke over all his brethren; for he thought to make Abijah king, (And he ordained Abijah, Maachah’s son, to be the head, and the ruler, over all his brothers; for he thought to make Abijah king.)

²³ for he was wiser and mightier over all his sons; and in all the coasts of Judah and of Benjamin, and in all the walled cities, he set his sons; and he gave to them full many meats, and he had many wives/and he took to them many wives. (And he treated all his sons wisely, and he placed them in authority, in all the land of Judah and of Benjamin, in all the fortified cities; and he gave them a great deal of food, or provisions, and many wives.)

12 And when the realm of Rehoboam was made strong and strengthened, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. (But when Rehoboam’s kingdom was made strong and established, he abandoned the Law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.)

² And in the fifth year of the realm of Rehoboam, Shishak, king of Egypt, went up into Jerusalem, for they, that is, the men of Jerusalem, [had] sinned against the Lord; (And in the fifth year of the reign of Rehoboam, Shishak, the king of Egypt, went up against Jerusalem, for they, that is, the people of Jerusalem, had sinned against the Lord;)

³ and he ascended with a thousand and two hundred chariots, and with sixty thousand horsemen, and no number was of the common people, that came with him from Egypt, that is, Libyans, and Troglodytes, and Ethiopians. (and he went up with a thousand and two hundred chariots, and sixty thousand horsemen, and there was no number of the common people, who came with him from Egypt, that is, Libyans, and Sukkiims, and Ethiopians.)

⁴ And he took [the] full strong cities in Judah, and he came to Jerusalem. (And he took the fortified cities in Judah, and then he came to Jerusalem.)

⁵ And Shemaiah, the prophet, entered to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, which, fleeing from Shishak, were gathered together in Jerusalem. And he said to them, The Lord saith these things, Ye have forsaken me, and I have forsaken you in the hand of Shishak. (And the prophet Shemaiah went in to Rehoboam, and to the leaders of Judah, who, fleeing from Shishak, were gathered together in Jerusalem. And he said to them, The Lord saith these things, Ye have deserted me, and so now I have deserted you unto the power of Shishak.)

⁶ And the princes of Israel and the king were astonished, and said, The Lord is just. (And Israel’s leaders and the king were astonished, but they said, The Lord is just.)

⁷ And when the Lord had seen that they were meeked, the word of the Lord was made to Shemaiah, and said, For they be meeked, I shall not destroy them, and I shall give to them a little help, and my strong vengeance shall not drop upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. (And when the Lord had seen that they were humbled, the word of the Lord was made to Shemaiah, and said, For they be humbled, I shall not destroy them, and I shall give them a little help, and my strong vengeance shall not drop upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.)

⁸ Nevertheless they shall serve him, that they know the diversity of my service, and of the service of the realm of lands. (But they shall still serve him, so that they know the difference between serving me, and serving the rulers of other lands.)

⁹ Therefore Shishak, the king of Egypt, went away from Jerusalem, after that he had taken away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the king’s house; and he took all things with him, and (even) the gold shields which Solomon had made,

¹⁰ for which golden shields king Rehoboam made brazen shields, and he betook those to the princes of [the] shield-makers, that kept the porch of the palace. (for which gold shields King Rehoboam then made bronze shields, and he gave them to the leaders of the guards, who guarded the entrance to the palace.)

¹¹ And when the king entered into the house of the Lord, the shield-makers came, and took those shields, and (then) they brought them again to his armoury place. (And when the king entered into the House of the Lord, the guards came, and brought those shields, and afterward they took them back to his armoury.)

¹² Nevertheless for they were meeked, the ire of the Lord was turned away from them, and they were not done away utterly; for good works were found also in Judah. (But because they were humbled, the Lord’s anger was turned away from them, and they were not utterly done away with; for good works were also found in Judah.)

¹³ Therefore king Rehoboam was comforted in Jerusalem, and reigned (And so King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned). And he was of one and forty years, when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord chose (out) of all the lineages of Israel, that he should confirm his name there. And the name of his mother was Naamah (an) Ammonitess.

¹⁴ And he did evil, and he made not ready his heart to seek God. (But he did evil, and he did not ordain his heart to seek God’s will.)

¹⁵ And the first and the last works of Rehoboam be written, and diligently declared, in the books of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the prophet. And Rehoboam and Jeroboam fought in all days against themselves (And Rehoboam and Jeroboam fought against each other in all their days).

¹⁶ And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David; and Abijah, his son, reigned for him.

13 In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam Abijah reigned upon Judah; (In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign upon Judah;)

² he reigned three years in Jerusalem; and the name of his mother was Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And battle was betwixt Abijah and Jeroboam.

³ And when Abijah had begun battle, and had with him most chivalrous men, and four hundred thousand of chosen men, Jeroboam arrayed on the contrary the battle array with eight hundred thousand of men, and they were chosen men, and most strong men to battle. (And when Abijah began the battle, he had with him four hundred thousand most able, chosen men, and Jeroboam arrayed his battle array opposite him, with eight hundred thousand men, who were also very strong, and chosen for battle.)

⁴ And Abijah stood upon the hill Zemaraim (And Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim), that was in Ephraim, and he said, Hear thou, Jeroboam, and all Israel;

⁵ whether ye know not, that the Lord God of Israel gave to David the realm on Israel without end, to him and to his sons into the covenant of salt, that is, steadfast and stable? (do ye not know that the Lord God of Israel gave David the kingdom of Israel forevermore, yea, to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?)

⁶ And now Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon, the son of David, hath risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord.

⁷ And most vain men, the sons of Belial, were gathered together to him, and they had might against Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. Certainly Rehoboam was boistous, either fond/or untaught, and of fearedful heart, and might not against-stand them (and could not stand against them).

⁸ Now therefore ye say, that ye be able to against-stand the realm of the Lord, that he holdeth in possession by the sons of David; and ye have a great multitude of people, and ye have golden calves, which Jeroboam made into gods to you. (And so now ye say, that ye be able to stand against the kingdom of the Lord, that he gave to the sons of David to have in possession; and ye have a great multitude of people, and ye have gold calves, which Jeroboam made to be your gods.)

⁹ And ye have cast away the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the deacons, and ye have made priests to you, as all the peoples of (other) lands have priests; whoever cometh and halloweth his hand in a bull, in oxes, and in seven wethers, anon he is made priest of them that be not gods. (And ye have thrown away the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and ye have made priests for yourselves, like all the peoples of other lands have; so that whoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bull, and with seven rams, he at once is made a priest of them that be not gods.)

¹⁰ But our Lord is God, whom we forsake not; and [the] priests of the sons of Aaron minister to the Lord, and (the) deacons be in their order; (But our Lord is God, whom we will not abandon; and the priests of the sons of Aaron serve the Lord, and the Levites assist them;)

¹¹ and they offer burnt sacrifices to the Lord by each day in the morrowtide and eventide, and also incense made by commandments of the law; and loaves be set forth in a most clean board; and at us is the golden candlestick, and the lantern thereof, that it be tended ever at eventide; and we keep the behests of our God, whom ye have forsaken. (and they offer burnt sacrifices to the Lord each day in the morning and in the evening, and also burn the incense as commanded by the Law; and the loaves be set forth on a most clean table; and with us is the gold candlestick, and its lanterns, that they light every evening; for we follow the orders, or the commands, of our God, whom ye have deserted.)

¹² Therefore God is duke in our host, and his priests, that trump and sound against you; do not ye, sons of Israel, fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for it speedeth not to you. (And so God is the leader of our army, and of his priests, who be ready to sound against you with trumpets; do not, ye Israelites, fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for it shall not profit you/for ye shall not prosper.)

¹³ While Abijah spake these things, Jeroboam made ready treasons behind (them); and when Jeroboam stood even against his enemies, he (en)compassed (them) with his host, Judah unwitting. (And while Abijah spoke all these things, Jeroboam prepared an attack behind them; and so while Jeroboam stood in front of his enemies, he was also behind them with his army, but Judah was unwitting, or unknowing.)

¹⁴ And Judah beheld, and he saw battle nigh even against before them, and behind their back; and he cried to the Lord, and [the] priests began to trump. (But then the men of Judah looked about, and they saw that the battle was to come from in front of them, and also from behind their backs; and they cried to the Lord, and the priests began to sound their trumpets.)

¹⁵ And all the men of Judah cried out, and, lo! while they cried on high, God made afeared Jeroboam and all Israel, that stood even against Judah and Abijah/which stood [over] against Judah and Abijah. (And all the men of Judah cried out, and, lo! while they cried on high, God made Jeroboam and all Israel afraid, who stood opposite, or in front of, Judah and Abijah.)

¹⁶ And the men of Israel fled from Judah, and God betook them into the hands of the men of Judah.

¹⁷ Therefore Abijah and his people smote them with a great wound, and there felled down of them five hundred thousand of strong men wounded. (And so Abijah and his people struck them down there with a great slaughter, and five hundred thousand strong men of them fell down slain.)

¹⁸ And the sons of Israel were made low in that time, and the sons of Judah were comforted full greatly, for they had hoped in the Lord God of their fathers. (And the Israelites were brought low at that time, and the sons of Judah prevailed, for they had hoped in the Lord God of their fathers.)

¹⁹ And Abijah pursued Jeroboam fleeing, and took his cities, that is, Bethel and his villages, and Jeshanah with his villages, and Ephron and his villages; (And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took his cities, that is, Bethel, and its villages, and Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephron, and all its villages;)

²⁰ and Jeroboam might no more against-stand (Judah) in the days of Abijah, whom the Lord smote, and he was dead. (and Jeroboam never regained his power in the days of Abijah, and finally the Lord struck him down, and he died.)

²¹ Therefore Abijah, when his empire was comforted, took fourteen wives, and he begat two and twenty sons, and sixteen daughters. (And so Abijah, when his empire was strengthened, or confirmed, took fourteen wives, and he begat twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters.)

²² The residue of [the] words of Abijah, and of his ways and his works, be written full diligently in the book of Iddo, the prophet. (And the rest of the deeds of Abijah, his ways and his works, be very diligently written down in The Book of Iddo, the prophet.)

²⁶ And also the Spirit helpeth our infirmity; for what we shall pray, as it behooveth, we know not, but that Spirit asketh for us with sorrowings, that may not be told out [but that Spirit asketh for us with sorrowings, that be not able to be told out].

²⁷ For he that seeketh the hearts, knoweth what the Spirit desireth, for by God [for after God, that is, at God's will,] he asketh for holy men.

²⁸ And we know, that to men that love God, all things work together into good, to them that after purpose be called saints.

²⁹ For those that he knew before [For why and whom he knew before], he before-ordained by grace to be made like to the image of his Son, that he be the first begotten among many brethren.

³⁰ And those that he before-ordained to bless, them he called; and whom he called, them he justified; and whom he justified, them he glorified. [Soothly whom he before-ordained to bless, and them he called; and whom he called, and them he justified; soothly whom he justified, and them he glorified.]

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who is against us?

³² Which also spared not his own Son, but betook him for us all, how also gave he not to us all things with him?

³³ Who shall accuse against the chosen men of God? It is God that justifieth,

³⁴ who is it that condemneth? It is Jesus Christ that was dead, yea, the which rose again, the which is on the right half of God, and the which prayeth for us [the which and rose again, the which is on the right half of God, the which prayeth for us].

³⁵ Who then shall separate us [Who therefore shall part us] from the charity of Christ? tribulation, or anguish, or hunger, or nakedness, or persecution, or peril, or sword?

³⁶ As it is written, For we be slain all day for thee; we be guessed as sheep of slaughter [we be guessed as sheep to slaughter].

³⁷ But in all these things we overcome, for him that loved us.

³⁸ But I am certain [Soothly I am certain], that neither death, neither life, neither angels, neither principats, neither virtues, neither present things, neither things to coming [neither things to come],

³⁹ neither strength, neither height, neither deepness, neither any other creature may separate us [shall be able to part us] from the charity of God, that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

³⁷ I shall pursue mine enemies, and I shall take (hold of) them; and I shall not turn (again) till they fail (and I shall not return until they fall).

³⁸ I shall all-break them, and they shall not be able to stand; they shall fall under my feet.

³⁹ And thou hast girded me with virtue to battle; and thou hast overturned under me men rising against me. (And thou hast girded me with strength for the battle; and thou hast put beneath me those who rose up against me.)

⁴⁰ And thou hast given mine enemies aback to me; and thou hast destroyed men hating me/and thou hast destroyed them that hated me. (And thou hast given me the backs of my enemies; and I have destroyed those who hated me.)

⁴¹ They cried, and none there was that made them safe; they cried to the Lord, and he heard not them. (They cried, but there was no one to save them; they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.)

⁴² And I shall all-break them, as dust before the face of the wind; I shall do them away, as the clay of streets. (And I broke them all in pieces, so that they became like the dust in the wind; I did them away, and trampled them underfoot, like the clay in the streets.)

⁴³ Thou shalt deliver me from [the] against-sayings of the people; thou shalt set me into the head of folks. The people, which I knew not, hath served me; (Thou delivered me from the gainsaying of the people; thou put me as the head of the nations. The people, whom I knew not, now serve me.)

⁴⁴ in the hearing of ear it obeyed to me. Alien sons lied (down) to me, (The sons of foreigners, or of strangers, now bow down to me; and after hearing me speak, they obey me.)

⁴⁵ alien sons waxed eld; and (went) crooked from thy paths. (The courage of the sons of foreigners, or of strangers, faded away; and they slunk out of their strongholds together.)

⁴⁶ The Lord liveth, and my God be blessed; and the God of mine health be enhanced. (The Lord liveth, and blessed is my God; let the God of my salvation be exalted!)

⁴⁷ God, that givest vengeances to me, and makest subject peoples under me; (O God, who givest vengeance to me, and makest the nations subject under me;)

⁴⁸ thou art my deliverer from my wrathful enemies. And thou shalt enhance me from them, that rise against me; thou shalt deliver me from a wicked man. (thou art my deliverer from all my enemies. And thou hast raised me up over those who rose up against me; thou hast rescued me from violent men.)

⁴⁹ Therefore, Lord, I shall acknowledge to thee among nations; and I shall say psalm to thy name. (And so, Lord, I shall praise thee before the nations; and I shall sing to thy name.)

⁵⁰ Magnifying the healths of his king; and doing mercy to his christ David, and to his seed till into the world. (He who giveth victories to his king; who showeth love to his anointed king, yea, to David, and to his children, or his descendants, forever.)

²⁷ Son, cease thou not to hear teaching; and know thou the words of knowing. (My son, cease thou not to listen to instruction; and understand thou words of knowledge.)

²⁸ A wicked witness scorneth doom; and the mouth of unpious men devoureth wickedness. (A false witness perverteth justice; and the mouths of the wicked devour wickedness.)

²⁹ Dooms be made ready to scorners; and hammers smiting be made ready to the bodies of fools. (Justice, or judgement, is prepared for mockers; and striking hammers be prepared for the bodies of fools.)