New Living Translation NLT
The Message Bible MSG
1 But when Rehoboam was firmly established and strong, he abandoned the Law of the LORD, and all Israel followed him in this sin.
1
By the time Rehoboam had secured his kingdom and was strong again, he, and all Israel with him, had virtually abandoned God and his ways.
2 Because they were unfaithful to the LORD, King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam’s reign.
2
In Rehoboam's fifth year, because he and the people were unfaithful to God, Shishak king of Egypt invaded as far as Jerusalem.
3 He came with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horses, and a countless army of foot soldiers, including Libyans, Sukkites, and Ethiopians.
3
He came with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 cavalry, and soldiers from all over - the Egyptian army included Libyans, Sukkites, and Ethiopians.
4 Shishak conquered Judah’s fortified towns and then advanced to attack Jerusalem.
4
They took the fortress cities of Judah and advanced as far as Jerusalem itself.
5 The prophet Shemaiah then met with Rehoboam and Judah’s leaders, who had all fled to Jerusalem because of Shishak. Shemaiah told them, “This is what the LORD says: You have abandoned me, so I am abandoning you to Shishak.”
5
Then the prophet Shemaiah, accompanied by the leaders of Judah who had retreated to Jerusalem before Shishak, came to Rehoboam and said, "God's word: You abandoned me; now I abandon you to Shishak."
6 Then the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The LORD is right in doing this to us!”
6
The leaders of Israel and the king were repentant and said, "God is right."
7 When the LORD saw their change of heart, he gave this message to Shemaiah: “Since the people have humbled themselves, I will not completely destroy them and will soon give them some relief. I will not use Shishak to pour out my anger on Jerusalem.
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When God saw that they were humbly repentant, the word of God came to Shemaiah: "Because they are humble, I'll not destroy them - I'll give them a break; I won't use Shishak to express my wrath against Jerusalem.
8 But they will become his subjects, so they will know the difference between serving me and serving earthly rulers.”
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What I will do, though, is make them Shishak's subjects - they'll learn the difference between serving me and serving human kings."
9 So King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem. He ransacked the treasuries of the LORD ’s Temple and the royal palace; he stole everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made.
9
Then Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. He plundered the treasury of The Temple of God and the treasury of the royal palace - he took everything he could lay his hands on. He even took the gold shields that Solomon had made.
10 King Rehoboam later replaced them with bronze shields as substitutes, and he entrusted them to the care of the commanders of the guard who protected the entrance to the royal palace.
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King Rehoboam replaced the gold shields with bronze shields and gave them to the guards who were posted at the entrance to the royal palace.
11 Whenever the king went to the Temple of the LORD, the guards would also take the shields and then return them to the guardroom.
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Whenever the king went to God's Temple, the guards went with him carrying the shields, but they always returned them to the guardroom.
12 Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the LORD ’s anger was turned away, and he did not destroy him completely. There were still some good things in the land of Judah.
12
Because Rehoboam was repentant, God's anger was blunted, so he wasn't totally destroyed. The picture wasn't entirely bleak - there were some good things going on in Judah.
13 King Rehoboam firmly established himself in Jerusalem and continued to rule. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from among all the tribes of Israel as the place to honor his name. Rehoboam’s mother was Naamah, a woman from Ammon.
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King Rehoboam regrouped and reestablished his rule in Jerusalem. He was forty-one years old when he became king and continued as king for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city God chose out of all the tribes of Israel as the special presence of his Name. His mother was Naamah from Ammon.
14 But he was an evil king, for he did not seek the LORD with all his heart.
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But the final verdict on Rehoboam was that he was a bad king - God was not important to him; his heart neither cared for nor sought after God.
15 The rest of the events of Rehoboam’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in and which are part of the genealogical record. Rehoboam and Jeroboam were continually at war with each other.
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The history of Rehoboam, from start to finish, is written in the memoirs of Shemaiah the prophet and Iddo the seer that contain the family trees. There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam the whole time.
16 When Rehoboam died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Abijah became the next king.
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Rehoboam died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Abijah ruled after him.