Chronicles II 12

1 And it came to pass when the kingdom of Roboam was established, and when he had grown strong, [that] he forsook the commandments of the Lord, and all Israel with him.

Once Rehoboam was secure on the throne and was sure of his power, he together with all the Israelites abandoned the law of the Lord.

2 And it came to pass in the fifth year of the reign of Roboam, Susakim king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had sinned against the Lord,

In the fifth year of Rehoboam's reign, Shishak, king of Egypt, came and attacked Jerusalem because they had been unfaithful to God.

3 with twelve hundred chariots, and sixty thousand horses: and there was no number of the multitude that came with him from Egypt; Libyans, Trogodytes, and Ethiopians.

He came from Egypt with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen, and an army that couldn't be counted Egypt—Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites.

4 And they obtained possession of the strong cities, which were in Juda, and came to Jerusalem.

He conquered the fortified towns of Judah and then approached Jerusalem.

5 And Samaias the prophet came to Roboam, and to the princes of Juda that were gathered to Jerusalem for fear of Susakim, and said to them, Thus said the Lord, You have left me, and I will leave you in the hand of Susakim.

Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who had run for safety Jerusalem because of Shishak. He told them, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to Shishak.’”

6 And the elders of Israel and the king were ashamed, and said, The Lord [is] righteous.

The leaders of Israel and the king admitted they were wrong and said, “The Lord is right.”

7 And when the Lord saw that they repented, then came the word of the Lord to Samaias, saying, They have repented; I will not destroy them, but I will set them in safety for a little while, and my wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem.

When the Lord saw that they had repented, he sent a message to Shemaiah, saying, “They have repented. I won't destroy them, and I will soon save them. My anger won't be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.

8 Nevertheless they shall be servants, and know my service, and the service of the kings of the earth.

Even so they will become his subjects, so that they can learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of earth.”

9 So Susakim king of Egypt went up against Jerusalem, and took the treasures that were in the house of the Lord, and the treasures that were in the king's house: he took all; and he took the golden shields which Solomon had made.

King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and took the treasures of the Lord's Temple and the treasures of the royal palace. He took away everything, including the gold shields that Solomon had made.

10 And king Roboam made brazen shields instead of them. And Susakim set over him captains of footmen, as keepers of the gate of the king.

Later Rehoboam replaced them with bronze shields and gave them to be looked after by the commanders of the guard stationed at the entrance to the royal palace.

11 And it came to pass, when the king went into the house of the Lord, the guards and the footmen went in, and they that returned to meet the footmen.

Whenever the king would enter the Temple of the Lord the guards would go with him, carrying the shields, and then take them back to the guardroom.

12 And when he repented, the anger of the Lord turned from him, and did not destroy him utterly; for there were good things in Juda.

Because Rehoboam repented, the anger of the Lord did not fall on him, and the Lord did not destroy him completely. Things went well in Judah.

13 So king Roboam strengthened [himself] in Jerusalem, and reigned: and Roboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, in the city which the Lord chose out of all the tribes of the children of Israel to call his name there: and his mother's name was Noomma the Ammanitess.

King Rehoboam became powerful in Jerusalem. He was forty-one when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel where he would be honored. The name of his mother was Naamah the Ammonite.

14 And he did evil, for he directed not his heart to seek the Lord.

But Rehoboam did what was evil because he did not commit himself to following the Lord.

15 And the acts of Roboam, the first and the last, behold, are they not written in the book of Samaia the prophet, and Addo the seer, with his achievements.

What Rehoboam did, from beginning to end, is written down in the records of Shemaiah the Prophet and of Iddo the Seer dealing with genealogies. However, Rehoboam and Jeroboam were always at war with each other.

16 And Roboam made war with Jeroboam all [his] days. And Roboam died with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abia his son reigned in his stead.

Rehoboam died and was buried in the City of David. His son Abijah took over as king.