2 Chronicles 12

1 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.

And when the kingdom of Roboam was strengthened and fortified, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.

2 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.

And in the fifth year of the reign of Roboam, Sesac king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem (because they had sinned against the Lord)

3 He came with twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen. Soldiers without number came with him from Egypt: Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites.

With twelve hundred chariots and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt, to wit, Libyans, and Troglodites, and Ethiopians.

4 He captured the fortified cities that belonged to Judah and came to Jerusalem.

And he took the strongest cities in Juda, and came to Jerusalem.

5 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.”

And Semeias the prophet came to Roboam, and to the princes of Juda, that were gathered together in Jerusalem, fleeing from Sesac, and he said to them: Thus saith the Lord: You have left me, and I have left you in the hand of Sesac.

6 Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “Yahweh is righteous.”

And the princes of Israel, and the king, being in a consternation, said: The Lord is just.

7 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.

And when the Lord saw that they were humbled, the word of the Lord came to Semeias, saying: Because they are humbled, I will not destroy them, and I will give them a little help, and my wrath shall not fall upon Jerusalem by the hand of Sesac.

8 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.”

But yet they shall serve him, that they may know the difference between my service, and the service of a kingdom of the earth.

9 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.

So Sesac king of Egypt departed from Jerusalem, taking away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the king’s house, and he took all with him, and the golden shields that Solomon had made,

10 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.

Instead of which the king made brazen ones, and delivered them to the captains of the shieldbearers, who guarded the entrance of the palace.

11 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.

And when the king entered into the house of the Lord, the shieldbearers came and took them, and brought them back again to their armoury.

12 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.

But yet because they were humbled, the wrath of the Lord turned away from them, and they were not utterly destroyed: for even in Juda there were found good works.

13 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.

King Roboam therefore was strengthened in Jerusalem, and reigned: he was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord chose out of all the tribes of Israel, to establish his name there: and the name of his mother was Naama an Ammonitess.

14 He did what was evil, because he did not fix his heart to seek Yahweh.

But he did evil, and did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.

15 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?

Now the acts of Roboam first and last are written in the books of Semeias the prophet, and of Addo the seer, and diligently recorded: and there was war between Roboam and Jeroboam all their days.

16 Rehoboam slept with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David; Abijah his son became king in his place.

And Roboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. And Abia his son reigned in his stead.