11:5 羅波安住在耶路撒冷,在猶大地修築城邑,
11:6 為保障修築伯利恆、以坦、提哥亞、
11:7 伯‧夙、梭哥、亞杜蘭、
11:8 迦特、瑪利沙、西弗、
11:9 亞多萊音、拉吉、亞西加、
11:10 瑣拉、亞雅崙、希伯崙。這都是猶大和便雅憫的堅固城。
11:11 羅波安又堅固各處的保障,在其中安置軍長,又預備下糧食、油、酒。
11:12 他在各城裡預備盾牌和槍,且使城極其堅固。猶大和便雅憫都歸了他。
11:13 以色列全地的祭司和利未人都從四方來歸羅波安。
11:14 利未人撇下他們的郊野和產業,來到猶大與耶路撒冷,是因耶羅波安和他的兒子拒絕他們,不許他們供祭司職分事奉耶和華。
11:15 耶羅波安為邱壇、為鬼魔(原文是公山羊)、為自己所鑄造的牛犢設立祭司。
11:16 以色列各支派中,凡立定心意尋求耶和華─以色列上帝的,都隨從利未人,來到耶路撒冷祭祀耶和華─他們列祖的上帝。
11:17 這樣,就堅固猶大國,使所羅門的兒子羅波安強盛三年,因為他們三年遵行大衛和所羅門的道。
5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built up towns for defense in Judah: 6 Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth Zur, Soko, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron. These were fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. 11 He strengthened their defenses and put commanders in them, with supplies of food, olive oil and wine. 12 He put shields and spears in all the cities, and made them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his.
13 The priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel sided with him. 14 The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the Lord 15 when he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat and calf idols he had made. 16 Those from every tribe of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the Lord, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 17 They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon three years, following the ways of David and Solomon during this time.
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羅波安雖然只統治猶大地區失去一大半國土,但是因為敬畏耶和華,上帝就讓猶大國強盛了三年,因為他們三年遵行大衛和所羅門的道。