2 Chronicles 12

1 And it came to pass, when Rehobo'am had established the kingdom, and when he had become strong, that he forsook the law 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 king Rehobo'am, that Shishak the king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, —because they had acted faithlessly 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 horsemen: and innumerable were the people that came with him out of Egypt—the Lubim, the Sukkiyim, and the 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 he captured the fortified cities which pertained to Judah, and he came as far as Jerusalem.

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

5 And Shem'ayah the prophet came to Rehobo'am, and the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus hath said the Lord, Ye have indeed forsaken me, and therefore have I also relinquished you into the hand of Shishak.

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 Thereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they 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 had humbled themselves, then came the word of the Lord to Shem'ayah, saying, “They have humbled themselves: I will not destroy them; but I will permit some little to escape from them; and my wrath shall not be poured out over Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.”

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 However they shall be servants unto him, and they shall know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the [various] countries.

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

9 And so came up Shishak the king of Egypt against Jerusalem, and he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house: every thing did he take away; and he took away the shields of gold 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 Rehobo'am made in their stead shields of copper, and committed them for keeping into the hand of the chiefs of the runners, who kept guard at the door of the king's house.

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 happened whenever the king went into the house of the Lord, that the runners came and bore them, and carried them back into the apartment of the runners.

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 had humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, so that he destroyed him not to make an end [of him]: and also in Judah were some good things [found].

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 And king Rehobo'am strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned; for Rehobo'am was one and forty years old when he became king, and seventeen years did he reign in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Na'amah the 'Ammonitess.

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 the evil; because 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 Rehobo'am, the first and the last, behold, they are written in the history of Shem'ayah the prophet, and of 'Iddo, the seer concerning the genealogies. And the wars of Rehobo'am and Jerobo'am [lasted] all the days.

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 Rehobo'am slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abiyah his son became king in his stead.

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