2 Chronicles Chapter 11
Showing all 23 verses for 2 Chronicles Chapter 11.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam. "
"When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he assembled a hundred and eighty thousand chosen fighting men from Judah and Benjamin, to go to war against Israel and win the kingdom back for himself."
When you suffer a painful loss caused partly by your own choices, resist the urge to immediately try to force things back the way they were. Take a breath and reflect honestly before reacting.
"But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, "
"But a message from the LORD came to Shemaiah, a man recognised as a prophet, saying,"
Sometimes the most important thing in a moment of anger or impulsive plans is an outside voice that interrupts you before you act. Stay humble enough to actually listen when someone tries to stop you from a mistake.
"Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, "
"'Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel living in Judah and Benjamin:"
Big decisions that affect a whole community are rarely just one person's to make alone in secret. Transparency and shared understanding protect people from being dragged into consequences they never agreed to.
"Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam. "
"'This is what the LORD says: Do not go to war against your brothers. Everyone go home, because this situation is my doing.' So they obeyed the LORD's word and turned back from marching against Jeroboam."
It takes real strength to accept a painful outcome without escalating into a fight to reverse it by force, especially when the people involved are family or community. Choosing peace over pride, even after real loss, is one of the hardest and most valuable choices you can make.
"And Rehoboam in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah. "
💡 Highlighted words feature Jacobean 1611 tooltips to clarify shifted 17th-century English terms.
"Rehoboam settled in Jerusalem and built up defensive cities throughout Judah."
When you can't get back what you've lost, put your energy into strengthening what you still have. That's not giving up - it's wisdom, and it's often the most productive response available to you.
"He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, "
"He built up Bethlehem, Etam and Tekoa,"
Strong foundations start close to home. Before you can protect or build anything further out in your life, make sure the ground right around you - your closest relationships, your daily habits - is secure first.
"And Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam, "
"Bethzur, Sochoh and Adullam,"
Just as these cities guarded specific routes, think about which 'routes' into your own life need the most guarding - which pressures or temptations tend to come at you from a particular direction, and shore up your defences there specifically.
"And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph, "
"Gath, Mareshah and Ziph,"
Protecting what matters to you sometimes means paying attention to the boundaries where outside pressures are most likely to intrude, not just the centre of your life.
"And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, "
"Adoraim, Lachish and Azekah,"
Good preparation sometimes only reveals its full value much later. Investing time and effort into strengthening something now, even if you can't yet see the full payoff, is rarely wasted.
"And Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities. "
"Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron, fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin."
When rebuilding after a setback, it can help to reconnect with what has been meaningful and valuable in your history, not just build something entirely new. Roots matter.
"And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine. "
"He strengthened these fortresses, placed commanders in them, and stored up food, olive oil and wine."
When you prepare for hard times ahead, don't just focus on the visible structure - make sure you also have people you trust in place and the practical resources to sustain you through difficulty.
"And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side. "
"In every city he placed shields and spears and made them very strong, with Judah and Benjamin firmly on his side."
Unity among the people closest to you is itself a form of strength, often more valuable than weapons or walls alone. Nurture the loyalty and trust of the people around you as carefully as you'd nurture any other resource.
"And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts. "
"The priests and Levites throughout Israel came over to Rehoboam's side from all their territories."
Sometimes staying true to your convictions costs you comfort, home, or belonging to a group - but it's worth it. Integrity is worth more than simply staying where it's easy or familiar.
"For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest’s office unto the LORD: "
"The Levites left their pastureland and property, and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had barred them from serving as priests to the LORD."
When something central to who you are is threatened or denied where you are, it can be right to leave rather than compromise, even at real personal cost. Some things are worth more than comfort or security.
"And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made. "
"Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places, for the goat idols, and for the calf idols he had made."
Be wary of any leader, system, or even your own inner voice, that reshapes what's sacred or true purely to serve someone's convenience or control. Genuine devotion to what's right shouldn't be redesigned to suit political or personal advantage.
"And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers. "
"After the Levites, people from every tribe of Israel who were determined to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem to worship the God of their ancestors."
What you genuinely value will eventually show in the choices you're willing to make, even costly ones. Let your priorities be revealed by your actions, not just your words.
"So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon. "
"In this way they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, because for three years they followed the ways of David and Solomon."
A good start doesn't guarantee it will continue - sustaining faithfulness matters as much as beginning well. Check in with yourself regularly, not just at the start of a good season but throughout it, to keep it going.
"And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse; "
"Rehoboam married Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, a son of David, and of Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, a son of Jesse;"
The connections and relationships you choose to build often say something about what you value and want to be rooted in. Choose them thoughtfully.
"Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham. "
"She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham."
Every name and every person matters, even ones history barely remembers beyond a line in a list. Treat the 'unremarkable' people in your own life - and your own seemingly small contributions - as genuinely significant too.
"And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith. "
"After her, he married Maachah, granddaughter of Absalom; she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith."
Family history, including painful chapters, doesn't have to define what comes next. New generations can carry forward what's good from a difficult lineage rather than being trapped by its worst moments.
"And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.) "
"Rehoboam loved Maachah, granddaughter of Absalom, more than all his other wives and concubines - he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters."
Depth and faithfulness in relationships tend to matter more than sheer number or scale. It's worth asking whether you're investing real care into a few relationships that matter, rather than spreading yourself thin across many.
"And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king. "
"Rehoboam appointed Abijah, Maachah's son, as chief among his brothers, intending to make him king."
Be careful when personal favouritism, rather than fairness, drives decisions that affect a whole family or group - it can breed resentment among those who feel overlooked, even when the choice itself may work out fine.
"And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city: and he gave them victual in abundance. And he desired many wives. "
"He acted wisely, spreading his sons out through the territories of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city, giving them ample provisions - and he sought many wives for them."
You can be genuinely wise in some areas of your life while still repeating unhelpful patterns in others. Growth is rarely all-or-nothing - keep working on the areas where old habits are still holding you back, even as you build on your strengths elsewhere.