Chapter 12

And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established⁵³ the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook¹ the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him.

And it came to pass, [that] in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up¹ against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed¹ against the LORD,

With twelve hundred ⁵⁰⁵ chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people [were] without number that came¹ with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.

And he took⁴ the fenced cities which [pertained] to Judah, and came⁴ to Jerusalem.

Then came¹ Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and [to] the princes of Judah, that were gathered⁸ together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said⁴ unto them, Thus saith¹ the LORD, Ye have forsaken¹ me, and therefore have I also left¹ you in the hand of Shishak.

Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled¹¹ themselves; and they said,⁴ The LORD [is] righteous.

And when the LORD saw² that they humbled⁸ themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying,² They have humbled⁸ themselves; [therefore] I will not destroy⁵⁵ them, but I will grant¹ them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out⁴ upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know⁴ my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.

So Shishak king of Egypt came up⁴ against Jerusalem, and took⁴ away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he took¹ all: he carried away⁴ also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.¹

Instead of which king Rehoboam made⁴ shields of brass, and committed⁵² [them] to the hands of the chief of the guard,⁵ that kept⁶ the entrance of the king's house.

And when the king entered² into the house of the LORD, the guard⁵ came¹ and fetched¹ them, and brought them again⁵² into the guard⁵ chamber.

And when he humbled⁹ himself, the wrath of the LORD turned¹ from him, that he would not destroy⁵³ [him] altogether: and also in Judah things went well.

So king Rehoboam strengthened¹⁰¹ himself in Jerusalem, and reigned:⁴ for Rehoboam [was] one and forty years old when he began to reign,² and he reigned¹ seventeen ⁶²⁴⁰ years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen¹ out of all the tribes of Israel, to put² his name there. And his mother's name [was] Naamah an Ammonitess.

And he did⁴ evil, because he prepared⁵² not his heart to seek² the LORD.

Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, [are] they not written⁷ in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies?⁹⁹ And [there were] wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. ³¹¹⁷

And Rehoboam slept⁴ with his fathers, and was buried¹¹ in the city of David: and Abijah his son reigned⁴ in his stead.