12In every city [he put] shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong. Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.
13The priests and the Levites who were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their border.
14For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons cast them off, that they should not execute the priest`s office to Yahweh;
15and he appointed him priests for the high places, and for the male goats, and for the calves which he had made.
16After them, out of all the tribes of Israel, such as set their hearts to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
17So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years; for they walked three years in the way of David and Solomon.
18Rehoboam took him a wife, Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, [and of] Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;