12:1 After Rehoboam’s rule was established and solidified, he and all Israel rejected the law of the Lord. 12:2 Because they were unfaithful to the Lord, in King Rehoboam’s fifth year, King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. 12:3 He had 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen, and an innumerable number of soldiers who accompanied him from Egypt, including Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites. 12:4 He captured the fortified cities of Judah and marched against Jerusalem.
12:5 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.’” 1 12:6 The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is just.” 2 12:7 When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, he gave this message to Shemaiah: 3 “They have humbled themselves, so I will not destroy them. I will deliver them soon. 4 My anger will not be unleashed against 5 Jerusalem through 6 Shishak. 12:8 Yet they will become his subjects, so they can experience how serving me differs from serving the surrounding nations.” 7
12:9 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. 12:10 King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned them to the officers of the royal guard 8 who protected the entrance to the royal palace. 12:11 Whenever the king visited the Lord’s temple, the royal guards carried them and then brought them back to the guardroom. 9
1 tn Heb “also I have rejected you into the hand of Shishak.”
2 tn Or “fair,” meaning the
3 tn Heb “the word of the
4 tn Heb “and I will give to them soon deliverance.”
5 tn Or “gush forth upon.”
6 tn Heb “by the hand of.”
7 tn Heb “so they may know my service and the service of the kingdoms of the lands.”
8 tn Heb “runners” (also in v. 11).
9 tn Heb “to the chamber of the runners.”