2 Chronicles 12
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Egypt Attacks Judah
12 When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he grew strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, he and all Israel with him.(A) 2 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, King Shishak of Egypt came up against Jerusalem(B) 3 with twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand cavalry. A countless army came with him from Egypt: Libyans, Sukkiim, and Cushites.(C) 4 He took the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. 5 Then the prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and to the officers of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak and said to them, “Thus says the Lord: You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak.”(D) 6 Then the officers of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is in the right.”(E) 7 When the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.(F) 8 Nevertheless, they shall be his servants, so that they may know the difference between serving me and serving the kingdoms of other lands.”(G)
9 So King Shishak of Egypt came up against Jerusalem; he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house; he took everything. He also took away the shields of gold that Solomon had made,(H) 10 but King Rehoboam made in place of them shields of bronze and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard who kept the door of the king’s house. 11 Whenever the king went into the house of the Lord, the guard would come along bearing them and would then bring them back to the guardroom. 12 Because he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, so as not to destroy them completely; moreover, conditions were good in Judah.(I)
Death of Rehoboam
13 So King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign; he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite.(J) 14 He did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.(K)
15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the records of the prophet Shemaiah and of the seer Iddo, recorded by genealogy? There were continual wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.(L) 16 Rehoboam slept with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David, and his son Abijah succeeded him.(M)
2 Chronicles 12
Evangelical Heritage Version
Shishak Attacks Jerusalem
12 When Rehoboam had established his rule as king and had become strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord. All Israel went along with him.
2 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam’s reign, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because Israel had been unfaithful to the Lord. 3 He came with twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand charioteers.[a] The forces that came with him from Egypt, including Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites, could not be counted. 4 He captured the fortified cities of Judah and advanced as far as Jerusalem.
5 Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the officials of Judah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak. He said to them, “This is what the Lord says. You abandoned me, so now I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak.”
6 Then the officials of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is righteous.”
7 When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying: “They have humbled themselves, so I will not destroy them. I will give them deliverance in a little while. My anger will not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. 8 However, they will become his servants. They will learn what it is to serve me and to serve the kingdoms of the foreign lands.”
9 Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. He took away the treasures from the house of the Lord and the treasures from the house of the king. He took everything, including the gold shields that Solomon had made. 10 King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place, and he entrusted them to the captains of the guard who were keeping watch at the entrance of the king’s palace. 11 Whenever the king went to the House of the Lord, the guards would go along and carry the shields. Then they would return them to the guardroom.[b]
12 Because he humbled himself, the anger of the Lord turned from him. He did not completely destroy them, so conditions were good in Judah.[c]
The Closing Summary of Rehoboam’s Reign
13 King Rehoboam strengthened his position in Jerusalem and ruled as king. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king, and for seventeen years he ruled as king in Jerusalem, the city that the Lord had chosen from among all the tribes of Israel to put his Name there. Rehoboam’s mother’s name was Na’amah the Ammonite.
14 He did evil, because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.
15 The acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the annals of Shemaiah the prophet and Iddo the seer, which deal with genealogy? Rehoboam and Jeroboam waged war with each other throughout all their days.
16 Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. His son Abijah ruled as king in his place.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 12:3 Or horsemen. There is, however, no evidence that the Egyptians used large contingents of cavalry at this period of history. If these sixty thousand are charioteers, the number seems far too large for the number of chariots. There are, however, no textual variants which support reducing the number.
- 2 Chronicles 12:11 Or armory
- 2 Chronicles 12:12 Or and there was still some good in Judah
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.