2 Chronicles 12
International Children’s Bible
Shishak Attacks Jerusalem
12 Rehoboam became a strong king. He also made his kingdom strong. Then he and the people of Judah stopped obeying the teachings of the Lord. 2 Shishak was the king of Egypt. He attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year Rehoboam was king. This happened because Rehoboam and the people were unfaithful to the Lord. 3 Shishak had 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. He brought troops of Libyans, Sukkites and Cushites from Egypt with him. There were so many they couldn’t be counted. 4 Shishak captured the strong, walled cities of Judah. And he came as far as Jerusalem.
5 Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah. They had gathered in Jerusalem because they were afraid of Shishak. Shemaiah said to them, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have left me. So now I will leave you to face Shishak alone.’”
6 Then the leaders of Judah and King Rehoboam were sorry for what they had done. They said, “The Lord does what is right.”
7 The Lord saw that they were sorry for what they had done. So the Lord spoke his word to Shemaiah. The Lord said, “The king and the leaders are sorry. So I will not destroy them but will save them soon. I will not use Shishak to punish Jerusalem in my anger. 8 But the people of Jerusalem will become Shishak’s servants. Then they may learn that serving me is different than serving the kings of other nations.”
9 Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. He took the treasures from the Temple of the Lord and from the king’s palace. He took everything, even the gold shields Solomon had made. 10 So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to take their place. He gave them to the commanders of the guards for the entrance to the king’s palace. 11 Whenever the king entered the Temple of the Lord, the guards went with him. They would carry the shields. Later, they would put them back in the guard room.
12 When Rehoboam was sorry for what he had done, the Lord held his anger back. So the Lord did not fully destroy Rehoboam. There was some good in Judah.
13 King Rehoboam made himself a strong king in Jerusalem. He was 41 years old when he became king. And he was king in Jerusalem for 17 years. Jerusalem is the city that the Lord chose from all the tribes of Israel. He chose to be worshiped in Jerusalem. Rehoboam’s mother was Naamah from the country of Ammon. 14 Rehoboam did evil things because he did not want to ask the Lord for help.
15 The things Rehoboam did as king, from the beginning to the end, are written down. They are in the records of Shemaiah the prophet. And they are in the records of Iddo the seer. These men wrote family histories. There were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the time they ruled. 16 Rehoboam died and was buried in Jerusalem. Then Rehoboam’s son Abijah became king.
2 Chronicles 12
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Shishak’s Invasion
12 When Rehoboam had established his sovereignty and royal power,(A) he abandoned the law of the Lord—he and all Israel with him. 2 Because they were unfaithful to the Lord, in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak(B) king of Egypt went to war against Jerusalem(C) 3 with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 cavalrymen, and countless people who came with him from Egypt—Libyans,(D) Sukkiim, and Cushites. 4 He captured the fortified cities(E) of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.
5 Then Shemaiah(F) the prophet went to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who were gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak. He said to them: “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have abandoned Me; therefore, I have abandoned you into the hand of Shishak.’”(G)
6 So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “Yahweh is righteous.”(H)
7 When the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, the Lord’s message came to Shemaiah: “They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them but will grant them a little deliverance.(I) My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.(J) 8 However, they will become his servants so that they may recognize the difference between serving Me and serving the kingdoms of other lands.”(K)
9 So King Shishak of Egypt went to war(L) against Jerusalem.(M) He seized the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and the treasuries of the royal palace. He took everything. He took the gold shields that Solomon had made.(N) 10 King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place and committed them into the care of the captains of the royal escorts[a] who guarded the entrance to the king’s palace. 11 Whenever the king entered the Lord’s temple, the royal escorts would carry the shields and take them back to the royal escorts’ armory. 12 When Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger turned away from him, and He did not destroy him completely.(O) Besides that, conditions were good in Judah.(P)
Rehoboam’s Last Days
13 King Rehoboam(Q) established his royal power in Jerusalem. Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king and reigned 17 years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel to put His name.(R) Rehoboam’s mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite. 14 Rehoboam did what was evil, because he did not determine in his heart to seek the Lord.(S)
15 The events(T) of Rehoboam’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the Events of Shemaiah(U) the Prophet and of Iddo the Seer concerning genealogies.(V) There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout their reigns. 16 Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. His son Abijah[b](W) became king in his place.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 12:10 Lit the runners
- 2 Chronicles 12:16 = Abijam in 1Kg 14:31–15:8
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