Shishak Attacks Jerusalem^(A)

12 After Rehoboam’s position as king was established^(B) and he had become strong,^(C) he and all Israel^[a](D) with him abandoned^(E) the law of the Lord. ² Because they had been unfaithful^(F) to the Lord, Shishak^(G) king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam. ³ With twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen and the innumerable troops of Libyans,^(H) Sukkites and Cushites^[b](I) that came with him from Egypt, ⁴ he captured the fortified cities^(J) of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

⁵ Then the prophet Shemaiah^(K) came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the Lord says, ‘You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon^(L) you to Shishak.’”

⁶ The leaders of Israel and the king humbled^(M) themselves and said, “The Lord is just.”^(N)

⁷ When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: “Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance.^(O) My wrath^(P) will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. ⁸ They will, however, become subject^(Q) to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands.”

⁹ When Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem, he carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including the gold shields^(R) Solomon had made. ¹⁰ So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. ¹¹ Whenever the king went to the Lord’s temple, the guards went with him, bearing the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom.

¹² Because Rehoboam humbled^(S) himself, the Lord’s anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good^(T) in Judah.

¹³ King Rehoboam established^(U) himself firmly in Jerusalem and continued as king. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name.^(V) His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. ¹⁴ He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.

¹⁵ As for the events of Rehoboam’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah^(W) the prophet and of Iddo the seer that deal with genealogies? There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. ¹⁶ Rehoboam^(X) rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Abijah^(Y) his son succeeded him as king.

No Confidence in the Flesh

3 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again,^(A) and it is a safeguard for you. ² Watch out for those dogs,^(B) those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. ³ For it is we who are the circumcision,^(C) we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus,^(D) and who put no confidence in the flesh— ⁴ though I myself have reasons for such confidence.^(E)

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised^(F) on the eighth day, of the people of Israel,^(G) of the tribe of Benjamin,^(H) a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;^{(I) 6} as for zeal,^(J) persecuting the church;^(K) as for righteousness based on the law,^(L) faultless.

⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss^(M) for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing^(N) Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ^{(O) 9} and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,^(P) but that which is through faith in^[a] Christ—the righteousness^(Q) that comes from God on the basis of faith.^{(R) 10} I want to know^(S) Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings,^(T) becoming like him in his death,^{(U) 11} and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection^(V) from the dead.

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal,^(W) but I press on to take hold^(X) of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.^{(Y) 13} Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind^(Z) and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on^(AA) toward the goal to win the prize^(AB) for which God has called^(AC) me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Following Paul’s Example

¹⁵ All of us, then, who are mature^(AD) should take such a view of things.^(AE) And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.^{(AF) 16} Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

¹⁷ Join together in following my example,^(AG) brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.^{(AH) 18} For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears,^(AI) many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.^{(AJ) 19} Their destiny^(AK) is destruction, their god is their stomach,^(AL) and their glory is in their shame.^(AM) Their mind is set on earthly things.^{(AN) 20} But our citizenship^(AO) is in heaven.^(AP) And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,^{(AQ) 21} who, by the power^(AR) that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies^(AS) so that they will be like his glorious body.^(AT)