Shishak of Egypt Invades Judah

12 (A)When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, (B)he and all Israel with him abandoned the Law of the Lord. (C)And it came about in King Rehoboam’s fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, that (D)Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem with 1,200 chariots and sixty thousand horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were innumerable: (E)the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians. And he captured (F)the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. Then (G)Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the Lord says: ‘(H)You have abandoned Me, so I also have abandoned you [a]to Shishak.’” So the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The (I)Lord is righteous.”

When the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, “(J)They have humbled themselves, so I will not destroy them; and I will grant them a little deliverance, and (K)My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak. But they will become his slaves, so (L)that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”

Plunder Impoverishes Judah

(M)So Shishak king of Egypt went up against Jerusalem, and he took the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s palace. He took everything; (N)he even took the gold shields which Solomon had made. 10 Then King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place and committed them to the [b]care of the commanders of the [c]guards who guarded the entrance of the king’s house. 11 As often as the king entered the house of the Lord, the [d]guards came and carried them and then brought them back into the [e]guards’ room. 12 And (O)when he humbled himself, the anger of the Lord turned away from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and conditions (P)were also good in Judah.

13 (Q)So King Rehoboam became powerful in Jerusalem and reigned there. For Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. 14 But he did evil (R)because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.

15 (S)Now the acts of Rehoboam, from the first to the last, are they not written in the [f]records of (T)Shemaiah the prophet and of (U)Iddo the seer, according to genealogical enrollment? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. 16 And Rehoboam [g]lay down with his fathers and was buried in the city of David; and his son (V)Abijah became king in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 12:5 Lit in the hand of
  2. 2 Chronicles 12:10 Lit hands
  3. 2 Chronicles 12:10 Lit runners
  4. 2 Chronicles 12:11 Lit runners
  5. 2 Chronicles 12:11 Lit runners
  6. 2 Chronicles 12:15 Lit words
  7. 2 Chronicles 12:16 I.e., died

12 And it came to pass, when Rechav’am had established the malchut, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the Torat Hashem, and kol Yisroel with him.

And it came to pass, that in the shanah hachamishit of Melech Rechav’am Shishak Melech Mitzrayim came up against Yerushalayim, because they were unfaithful to Hashem,

With 1200 chariots, and 60,000 parashim, and troops without number that came with him out of Mitzrayim, the Luvim, the Sukkiim, and the Cushim.

And he captured the arei hametzurot (fortified cities) which are of Yehudah, and came as far as Yerushalayim.

Then came Shemayah HaNavi to Rechav’am, and to the Sarim of Yehudah, that were assembled in Yerushalayim because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith Hashem, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also abandoned you in the yad Shishak.

Whereupon the Sarim (princes) of Yisroel and HaMelech humbled themselves; and they said, Tzaddik Hashem.

And when Hashem saw that they humbled themselves, the Devar Hashem came to Shemayah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some peleitah (deliverance, rescue); and My chamah (anger, wrath) shall not be poured out upon Yerushalayim by the yad Shishak.

Nevertheless they shall be his avadim; that they may differentiate My avodah, and the avodat mamlechut of the lands.

So Shishak Melech Mitzrayim came up against Yerushalayim, and carried away the otzerot of the Beis Hashem, and the otzerot Bais HaMelech. He took all; he carried away also the moginei hazahav (shields of gold) which Sh’lomo had made.

10 Instead of which HaMelech Rechav’am made moginei nechoshet, and committed them to the hands of the commanders of the guard, the Shomrim who kept the Petach Bais Hamelech.

11 And as often as HaMelech entered into the Beis Hashem, the guard came and got the shields, and afterward brought them again into the guardroom.

12 And when he humbled himself, the Af Hashem turned from him, that He would not destroy him altogether; and also in Yehudah things went well.

13 So HaMelech Rechav’am strengthened himself in Yerushalayim, and reigned; for Rechav’am was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Yerushalayim, HaIr that Hashem had chosen out of all the Shivtei Yisroel, to put Shmo there. And the shem immo was Na’amah HaAmmonit.

14 And he did rah, because he set not his lev to seek Hashem.

15 Now the acts of Rechav’am, harishonim and ha’acharonim, are they not written in the Divrei Shemayah HaNavi, and of Iddo HaChozer with genealogies? And there were milchamot between Rechav’am and Yarov’am continually.

16 And Rechav’am slept with Avotav, and was buried in Ir Dovid; and Aviyah bno reigned in his place.