2 Chronicles 12

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

1Rehoboam became a strong king with firm control. Then he stopped obeying God's law. All Israel stopped obeying too.

2And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD,

2In Rehoboam's fifth year as king, Shishak, the king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem. This happened because the people had not been faithful to the LORD.

3With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.

3Shishak came with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 men on horses. Too many soldiers came with him from Egypt to count. Among them were Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites.

NoteThe KJV says "threescore thousand." A score is twenty, so threescore thousand means 60,000.

4And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.

4He captured the walled cities of Judah. Then he came all the way to Jerusalem.

5Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.

5Shemaiah was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. He came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah. They had gathered in Jerusalem because of Shishak. Shemaiah said, "The LORD says this: 'You left me. So I have left you in Shishak's hands.'"

6Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The LORD is righteous.

6Then the leaders of Israel and the king made themselves humble. They said, "The LORD is right in what he does."

7And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore 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.

7The LORD saw that they had made themselves humble. So the LORD spoke to Shemaiah again. He said, "They have made themselves humble. I will not destroy them. I will rescue them soon. My anger will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.

8Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.

8But they will have to serve Shishak. Then they will learn the difference. Serving me is not the same as serving kings of other lands."

9So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

9So Shishak, the king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem. He took the treasures from the LORD's temple and from the king's palace. He took everything. He even took the gold shields that Solomon had made.

10Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king’s house.

10So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them. He gave them to the officers who guarded the palace door.

NoteThe KJV says "brass." The metal here is bronze, which is cheaper than the gold it replaced.

11And when the king entered into the house of the LORD, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber.

11Whenever the king went into the LORD's temple, the guards carried the shields. Afterward they put them back in the guardroom.

12And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the LORD turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well.

12Because Rehoboam made himself humble, the LORD stopped being angry with him. God did not destroy him completely. Things went well in Judah.

13So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess.

13So King Rehoboam ruled firmly in Jerusalem. He was forty-one years old when he became king. He ruled seventeen years in Jerusalem. The LORD had chosen that city out of all the tribes of Israel. He chose it as the place for his name. Rehoboam's mother was named Naamah, from the land of Ammon.

14And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.

14Rehoboam did what was evil. He did not set his heart on looking for the LORD.

15Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

15The things Rehoboam did, from start to finish, are written down. They are in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and Iddo the seer. Those records also list family lines. Rehoboam and Jeroboam fought each other the whole time.

NoteA "seer" was another word for a prophet. It means someone who saw what God showed him.

16And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.

16Rehoboam died and joined his ancestors. He was buried in the City of David. His son Abijah became king after him.