17 They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, walking in the ways of David and Solomon during those three years.
18 Rehoboam married Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, who was a son of David, and Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, the son of Jesse.
19 She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
20 After her, he married Maacah, the daughter of Absalom, and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
21 Rehoboam loved Maacah, the daughter of Absalom, more than all his other wives and concubines. He had married eighteen wives and had sixty concubines, and he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah, son of Maacah, as the chief and leader among his brothers, intending to make him king.
23 He was wise in distributing his sons throughout all the regions of Judah and Benjamin, to all the fortified cities. He provided them with abundant provisions and secured many wives for them.