1 Kings 14:21-31

International Children’s Bible

The Death of Rehoboam

²¹ Solomon’s son Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king of Judah. His mother was Naamah from the land of Ammon. Rehoboam ruled in Jerusalem for 17 years. (The Lord had chosen that city from all the land of Israel. He chose to be worshiped there.)

²² The people of Judah did what the Lord said was wrong. The people’s sins made the Lord very angry at them. They made the Lord even more angry than their ancestors had done. ²³ The people built stone pillars and places to worship false gods and Asherah idols. They built them on every high hill and under every green tree. ²⁴ There were even male prostitutes at the places of worship to the gods. The people who had lived in the land before the Israelites had done many evil things. And God had taken the land away from them. Now the people of Judah were doing the same evil things.

²⁵ During the fifth year Rehoboam was king, Shishak attacked Jerusalem. Shishak was king of Egypt. ²⁶ He took the treasures from the Temple of the Lord and the king’s palace. He took everything, even the gold shields Solomon had made. ²⁷ So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to put in their place. He gave them to the men who were guarding the palace gates. ²⁸ Whenever the king went to the Temple of the Lord, the guards carried the shields. After they were finished, they put the shields back in the guardroom.

²⁹ Everything else King Rehoboam did is written down. It is in the book of the history of the kings of Judah. ³⁰ Rehoboam and Jeroboam were always fighting a war with each other. ³¹ Rehoboam died and was buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem. His mother was Naamah from Ammon. And Rehoboam’s son Abijam^[a] became king in his place.