1 After Rehoboam’s rule was established and solidified, he and all Israel rejected the law of the Lord.

2 Because they were unfaithful to the Lord, in King Rehoboam’s fifth year, King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem.

3 He had 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen, and an innumerable number of soldiers who accompanied him from Egypt, including Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites.

4 He captured the fortified cities of Judah and marched against Jerusalem.

5 Shemaiah the prophet visited Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who were assembled in Jerusalem because of Shishak. He said to them, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have rejected me, so I have rejected you and will hand you over to Shishak.’”tn Heb “also I have rejected you into the hand of Shishak.”

6 The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is just.”tn Or “fair,” meaning the Lord’s punishment of them was just or fair.

7 When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, he gave this message to Shemaiah:tn Heb “the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying.” “They have humbled themselves, so I will not destroy them. I will deliver them soon.tn Heb “and I will give to them soon deliverance.” My anger will not be unleashed againsttn Or “gush forth upon.” Jerusalem throughtn Heb “by the hand of.” Shishak.

8 Yet they will become his subjects, so they can experience how serving me differs from serving the surrounding nations.”tn Heb “so they may know my service and the service of the kingdoms of the lands.”

9 King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the Lord’s temple and of the royal palace; he took everything, including the gold shields that Solomon had made.

10 King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned them to the officers of the royal guardtn Heb “runners” (also in v. 11). who protected the entrance to the royal palace.

11 Whenever the king visited the Lord’s temple, the royal guards carried them and then brought them back to the guardroom.tn Heb “to the chamber of the runners.”

12 So when Rehoboamtn Heb “he”; the referent (Rehoboam) has been specified in the translation for clarity. humbled himself, the Lord relented from his anger and did not annihilate him;tn Heb “the anger of the Lord turned from him and did not destroy completely.” Judah experienced some good things.tn Heb “and also in Judah there were good things.”

13 King Rehoboam solidified his rule in Jerusalem;tn Heb “and the king, Rehoboam, strengthened himself in Jerusalem and ruled.” hetn Heb “Rehoboam.” The recurrence of the proper name here is redundant in terms of contemporary English style, so the pronoun has been used in the translation instead. was forty-one years old when he became king and he ruled for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord chose from all the tribes of Israel to be his home.tn Heb “the city where the Lord chose to place his name from all the tribes of Israel.” Rehoboam’stn Heb “his”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity. mother was an Ammonite named Naamah.

14 He did evil because he was not determined to follow the Lord.tn Heb “because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.”

15 The events of Rehoboam’s reign, from start to finish, are recordedtn Heb “As for the events of Rehoboam, the former and the latter, are they not written?” in the Annals of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer that include genealogical records.

16 Then Rehoboam passed awaytn Heb “lay down with his fathers.” and was buried in the City of David.sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7. His son Abijah replaced him as king.