1 W hen King Rehoboam’s nation had been made strong, he and all Israel turned away from the Law of the Lord.

When Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.

2 A fter Rehoboam had been king for five years, King Shishak of Egypt came to fight against Jerusalem. This happened because they had not been faithful to the Lord.

And in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, because they had transgressed and been unfaithful to the Lord, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem

3 S hishak came with 1, 200 war-wagons and 60, 000 horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were too many to number. There were Libyans, Sukkites, and Ethiopians.

With 1, 200 chariots and 60, 000 horsemen, and the people were without number who came with him from Egypt—the Libyans, Sukkiim, and Ethiopians.

4 H e took the strong cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

And he took the fortified cities of Judah and came on to Jerusalem.

5 T hen Shemaiah the man of God came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak. He said to them, “The Lord says, ‘You have left Me. So I have left you to Shishak.’”

Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, Thus says the Lord: You have forsaken Me, so I have abandoned you into the hands of Shishak.

6 S o the princes of Israel and the king put away their pride and said, “The Lord is right and good.”

Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, The Lord is righteous.

7 T he Lord saw that they had put away their pride. And the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have put away their pride. I will not destroy them. But I will give them some help. My anger will not be poured out on Jerusalem by the power of Shishak.

And 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, but I will grant them some deliverance; and My wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

8 B ut they will be made to work for him. In this way they may learn the difference between My work and the work of the kings of the countries.”

Nevertheless, they shall be his servants, that they may know My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.

9 S o King Shishak of Egypt came and fought against Jerusalem. He took the riches of the Lord’s house and the riches of the king’s house. He took everything. He even took the battle-coverings of gold which Solomon had made.

So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem; he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house. He took everything. He took away also the shields of gold Solomon had made.

10 K ing Rehoboam made battle-coverings of brass in their place. And he put them in the care of the captains of the soldiers who watched the door of the king’s house.

Instead of them King Rehoboam made 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 E very time the king went into the house of the Lord, the soldiers came and carried the coverings. Then they returned them to the soldiers’ room.

And whenever the king entered the Lord’s house, the guards came and got the shields of bronze and brought them again into the guard chamber.

12 W hen Rehoboam put away his pride, the Lord’s anger turned away from him. He was not destroyed. And things were good in Judah. The End of Rehoboam’s Rule

When Rehoboam humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, so as not to destroy him entirely; also in Judah conditions were good.

13 S o King Rehoboam became strong in Jerusalem and ruled. He was forty-one years old when he began to rule. And he ruled in Jerusalem for seventeen years. This was the city the Lord had chosen from all the families of Israel to put His name there. The name of Rehoboam’s mother was Naamah the Ammonitess.

So King Rehoboam established and strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city in which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put His Name. His mother was Naamah an Ammonitess.

14 A nd he did what was sinful, because he did not follow the Lord with all his heart.

And he did evil because he did not set his heart to seek (inquire of, yearn for) the Lord with all his desire.

15 T he acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are written in the writings of Shemaiah the man of God and of Iddo the man who told what would happen in the future. Wars were always being fought between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.

Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the histories of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer regarding genealogies? There were wars between Rehoboam of Judah and Jeroboam of Israel continually.

16 R ehoboam died and was buried in the city of David. His son Abijah became king in his place.

And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the City of David; and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.