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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.

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. 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. He captured the fortified cities of Judah and advanced as far as Jerusalem.

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.”

Then the officials of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is righteous.”

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. However, they will become his servants. They will learn what it is to serve me and to serve the kingdoms of the foreign lands.”

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]

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Footnotes

  1. 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. 2 Chronicles 12:11 Or armory
  3. 2 Chronicles 12:12 Or and there was still some good in Judah

Shishak of Egypt Invades Jerusalem

12 And when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and when he was strengthened, he forsook the law of Yahweh, and all Israel with him. And it happened that in the fifth year of King Rehoboam (for they had acted unfaithfully against Yahweh), Shishak the king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem with one thousand two hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen. And there was no number to the people who came up with him from Egypt—Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites. And he took the fortified cities that belonged to Judah, and he came up to Jerusalem.

Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem from before Shishak. And he said to them, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘You yourselves have abandoned me, and I myself have surely abandoned you into the hand of Shishak.’” Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “Yahweh is righteous.” And when Yahweh saw that they humbled themselves, the word of Yahweh came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy. I will give to them some way of escape, that my anger not be poured out against Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. However, they shall be his servants, that they might know my service and the service of the kingdoms of other countries.”

Then Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and he took the treasures out of the house of Yahweh and the treasures out of the king’s house. He took everything. He also took the small shields of gold that Solomon had made. 10 And King Rehoboam made small shields of bronze in their place and committed them into the hand of the commanders of the guards who were keeping the entrance of the house of the king. 11 And whenever the king went into the house of Yahweh, the guards came and carried them, and then they returned them to the alcove of the guards. 12 And when he humbled himself, the anger of Yahweh was turned away from him, so that he did not destroy the city completely. Moreover, matters were well in Judah.

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