< 2 Chronicles 12 >
1 And when the kingdom of Rehoboam had been strengthened and fortified, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all of Israel with him.
It came about, when Rehoboam's reign was established and he was strong, that he abandoned the law of Yahweh—and all Israel with him.
2 Then, in the fifth year of the reign of Rehoboam, Shishak, the king of Egypt, ascended against Jerusalem (for they had sinned against the Lord)
It happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, that Shishak, king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem, because the people had been unfaithful to Yahweh.
3 with one thousand two hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen. And the common people could not be numbered who had arrived with him from Egypt, namely, the Libyans, and the Troglodytes, and the Ethiopians.
He came with twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen. Soldiers without number came with him from Egypt: Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites.
4 And he seized the most fortified cities in Judah, and he went even to Jerusalem.
He captured the fortified cities that belonged to Judah and came to Jerusalem.
5 Then Shemaiah, the prophet, entered to Rehoboam, and to the leaders of Judah who had gathered together in Jerusalem while fleeing from Shishak, and he said to them: “Thus says the Lord: You have abandoned me, and so I have abandoned you into the hand of Shishak.”
Now Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who had gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak. Shemaiah said to them, “This is what Yahweh says: You have forsaken me, so I have also given you over into Shishak's hand.”
6 And the leaders of Israel, and the king, being in consternation, said, “The Lord is just.”
Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “Yahweh is righteous.”
7 And when the Lord had seen that they were humbled, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying: “Because they have been humbled, I will not disperse them. And I will give to them a little help, and my fury will not rain down upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
When Yahweh saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of Yahweh came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves. I will not ruin them; I will rescue them to some extent, and my anger will not pour out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak's hand.
8 Yet truly, they shall serve him, so that they may know the difference between my servitude, and the servitude of a kingdom of the lands.”
Nevertheless, they will be his servants, so that they may understand what it is to serve me and to serve the rulers of the other countries.”
9 And so Shishak, the king of Egypt, withdrew from Jerusalem, taking up the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the house of the king. And he took away everything with him, even the gold shields that Solomon had made.
So Shishak, king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem and took away the treasures in the house of Yahweh, and the treasures in the king's house. He took everything away; he also took the shields of gold that Solomon had made.
10 In place of these, the king made bronze ones, and he delivered them to the leaders of the shield bearers, who were guarding the vestibule of the palace.
King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place and entrusted them into the hands of the commanders of the guard, who guarded the doors to the king's house.
11 And when the king would enter into the house of the Lord, the shield bearers would arrive and take them, and they would carry them back to their armory.
It happened that whenever the king entered the house of Yahweh, the guards would carry them; then they would bring them back into the guardhouse.
12 Yet truly, because they were humbled, the wrath of the Lord turned away from them, and so they were not utterly destroyed. And indeed, good works were also found in Judah.
When Rehoboam humbled himself, Yahweh's anger turned away from him, so as not to destroy him completely; besides, there was still some good to be found in Judah.
13 Therefore, king Rehoboam was strengthened in Jerusalem, and he reigned. He was forty-one years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that the Lord chose out of all the tribes of Israel, so that he might confirm his name there. Now the name of his mother was Naamah, an Ammonite.
So King Rehoboam made his kingship strong in Jerusalem, and thus he reigned. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that Yahweh had chosen from all the tribes of Israel so that he might put his name there. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite woman.
14 But he did evil, and he did not prepare his heart so as to seek the Lord.
He did what was evil, because he did not fix his heart to seek Yahweh.
15 Truly, the works of Rehoboam, the first and the last, have been written in the books of Shemaiah, the prophet, and of Iddo, the seer, and diligently set forth. And Rehoboam and Jeroboam fought against one another during all their days.
As for the other matters concerning Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the writings of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, which also have records of genealogies and the constant wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam?
16 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the City of David. And his son, Abijah, reigned in his place.
Rehoboam slept with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David; Abijah his son became king in his place.