2 Chronicles 12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 12
Rehoboam’s Apostasy. 1 Once Rehoboam had established himself as king and was firmly in charge, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and so did all Israel with him.(A) 2 So in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak, king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem, for they had acted treacherously toward the Lord.(B) 3 He had twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen, and there was no counting the army that came with him from Egypt—Libyans, Sukkites,[a] and Ethiopians. 4 They captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. 5 Then Shemaiah(C) the prophet came to Rehoboam and the commanders of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them: “Thus says the Lord: You have abandoned me, and so I have abandoned you to the power of Shishak.”
6 Then the commanders of Israel and the king humbled themselves saying, “The Lord is in the right.” 7 When the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: Because they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them; I will give them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem through Shishak. 8 But they shall be his servants. Then they will know what it is to serve me and what it is to serve the kingdoms of the earth. 9 (D)Thereupon Shishak, king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the house of the king. He took everything, including the gold shields that Solomon had made. 10 To replace them, King Rehoboam made bronze shields, which he entrusted to the officers of the attendants on duty at the entrance of the king’s house. 11 Whenever the king visited the house of the Lord, the attendants would carry them, and then return them to the guardroom. 12 Because he had humbled himself, the anger of the Lord turned from him so as not to destroy him completely; in Judah, moreover, there was some good.
13 King Rehoboam was firmly in power in Jerusalem and continued to rule. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city in which, out of all the tribes of Israel, the Lord chose to set his name. His mother’s name was Naamah, the Ammonite.(E) 14 He did evil, for he had not set his heart to seek the Lord. 15 (F)The acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are recorded in the history of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer (his family record). There were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days. 16 Rehoboam rested with his ancestors; he was buried in the City of David. His son Abijah[b] succeeded him as king.
Footnotes
- 12:3 Sukkites: foreign mercenaries in the Egyptian army.
- 12:16 Abijah: in 1 Kgs 14:31–15:8 this king is called Abijam.
2 Chronicles 12
Expanded Bible
Shishak Attacks Jerusalem(A)
12 After Rehoboam’s kingdom was ·set up [secure; consolidated; established] and he became strong, he and the people of Judah ·stopped obeying [abandoned; forsook] the ·teachings [instructions; laws] of the Lord. 2 During the fifth year Rehoboam was king, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem, because Rehoboam and the people were unfaithful to the Lord. 3 Shishak had twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand ·horsemen [or horses]. He brought troops of ·Libyans [Lubim], Sukkites, and Cushites [C Ethiopians] from Egypt with him, so many they couldn’t be counted. 4 Shishak captured the ·strong, walled [fortified] cities of Judah and ·came as far as [advanced on/to] Jerusalem.
5 Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the ·leaders [officers; officials] of Judah who had gathered in Jerusalem because they were afraid of Shishak. Shemaiah said to them, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have ·left [abandoned; forsaken] me, so now I will ·leave you to face Shishak alone [abandon/forsake you to Shishak].’”
6 Then the ·leaders [officers; officials] of ·Judah [L Israel; C sometimes the name Israel refers specifically to Judah] and King Rehoboam ·were sorry for what they had done [humbled themselves]. They said, “The Lord ·does what is right [is just/fair/righteous].”
7 When the Lord saw they ·were sorry for what they had done [humbled themselves], the Lord spoke his word to Shemaiah, saying, “·The king and the leaders are sorry [They have humbled themselves]. So I will not destroy them but will ·save [rescue; T deliver] them soon. I will not use Shishak to ·punish Jerusalem in [pour out on Jerusalem] my anger. 8 But the people of Jerusalem will become Shishak’s ·servants [subjects; slaves] so they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the ·kings [kingdoms] of other nations.”
9 Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and took the treasures from the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord and the king’s ·palace [L house]. He took everything, even the gold shields Solomon had made. 10 So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to take their place and ·gave [entrusted] them to the ·commanders [officers] of the guards for the ·palace gates [doors of the king’s house]. 11 Whenever the king went to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, the guards went with him, carrying the shields. Later, they would put them back in the guardroom.
12 When Rehoboam ·was sorry for what he had done [humbled himself], the Lord held his anger back and did not ·fully [completely] destroy Rehoboam. ·There was some [or Conditions/Things were] good in Judah.
13 King Rehoboam ·made himself a strong king [strengthened/established himself] in Jerusalem. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he ·was king [reigned] in Jerusalem for seventeen years. Jerusalem is the city that the Lord chose from all the tribes of Israel in which ·he was to be worshiped [L to put his name]. Rehoboam’s mother was Naamah from the country of Ammon. 14 Rehoboam did evil because he did not ·want to obey [L set/commit his heart to seek] the Lord.
15 The ·things Rehoboam did as king [events/acts/history of Rehoboam], from ·the beginning to the end [first to last], ·are [L are they not…?] written in the ·records [annals] of Shemaiah the prophet and Iddo the ·seer [prophet], in the ·family histories [genealogical records]. There were continual wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. 16 Rehoboam ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in the City of David [C Jerusalem], and his son Abijah became king in his place.
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