Rehoboam

18Rehoboam married Mahalath. Her father was Jerimoth, a son of David. Her mother was Abihail, daughter of Eliab, who was Jesse's son.

And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;

NoteJesse was David's father. So Rehoboam married inside King David's own family. Kings often did this to keep the family close.

19She gave him sons named Jeush, Shamariah, and Zaham.

Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.

20Later he married Maachah, the daughter of Absalom. She gave him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.

And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

NoteAbsalom was a son of King David. He once tried to take the throne from his father.

21Rehoboam loved Maachah more than any of his other wives. He had eighteen wives and sixty other women who lived as his wives. He had twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.)

NoteKings back then had many wives. Marrying into other families made those families friendly. The extra women were called concubines. They lived with the king but had less honor than a wife.

22Rehoboam made Abijah, Maachah's son, the leader of his brothers. He planned to make Abijah the next king.

And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king.

NoteThe oldest son usually became king next. But a king could choose a different son instead. Rehoboam chose Abijah.

23Rehoboam acted wisely. He sent his sons to live all over Judah and Benjamin. He sent them to every city with strong walls. He gave them plenty of food. He also found many wives for them.

And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city: and he gave them victual in abundance. And he desired many wives.

NoteGiving his sons cities and food kept them busy and happy. Then they were less likely to fight Abijah for the throne.

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

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.

NoteGod's law was the set of rules God gave his people. The rules told them how to live and how to worship him.

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.

And 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,

NoteEgypt was a big, powerful country to the south with its own king. "The LORD" in capital letters is God's own special name.

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.

With 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.

NoteChariots were small carts with wheels, pulled by fast horses. Soldiers rode in them to fight. Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites were people from lands near Egypt. They fought as part of Shishak's army.

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

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

NoteWalled cities had thick, high walls built all around them. The walls kept enemies out and kept people safe inside.

5Shemaiah was a prophet. 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.'"

Then 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.

NoteA prophet was someone who told people what God said. Judah was the part of the land where Rehoboam was king. The rest of the people had made another man their king.

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

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

NoteTo be humble means to stop being proud. They admitted they had done wrong and did not make excuses.

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.

And 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.

Note"Poured out" is a word picture, like water tipped from a jug. It means God's anger would not come pouring down on the city.

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."

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

NoteServing another king meant obeying him and sending him money. The people would not be free to rule themselves.

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.

So 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.

NoteThe temple was the special building in Jerusalem for worshiping God. Solomon was Rehoboam's father, the king before him. Treasures are valuable things like gold, silver, and jewelry.

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

Instead 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.

NoteBronze is a brown metal. It is strong, but it costs far less than gold. The new shields looked poorer than the ones that were taken.

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

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

NoteA guardroom was the room where the guards kept their weapons and waited.

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

And 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.

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.

So 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.

NoteThe tribes of Israel were the big family groups the people belonged to. Putting his name in a city meant it was the place people came to worship him. Ammon was a country next door, where Rehoboam's mother was born.

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

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

NoteTo set your heart on something means to really want it and keep trying. Rehoboam never truly tried to know God or obey him.

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.

Now 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.

NoteA seer was another name for a prophet, someone God showed things to. Family lines are lists of who came from which family, parents and children in order. Jeroboam was the king of the other part of the land, in the north.

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

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

Note"Joined his ancestors" is a gentle old way of saying he died. His ancestors were the family members who lived and died before him. The City of David was the oldest part of Jerusalem. It was named after King David, and kings were buried there.