2 Chronicles 11:5-12:8

Christian Standard Bible Anglicised

Judah’s King Rehoboam

⁵ Rehoboam stayed in Jerusalem, and he fortified cities^[a](A) in Judah. ⁶ He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, ⁷ Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, ⁸ Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, ⁹ Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, ¹⁰ Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin. ¹¹ He strengthened their fortifications and put leaders in them with supplies of food, oil, and wine. ¹² He also put large shields and spears in each and every city to make them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his.

¹³ The priests and Levites from all their regions throughout Israel took their stand with Rehoboam, ¹⁴ for the Levites left their pasturelands and their possessions^(B) and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons refused to let them serve as priests of the Lord.^{(C) 15} Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places,^(D) the goat-demons,^(E) and the golden calves he had made.^{(F) 16} Those from every tribe of Israel who had determined in their hearts to seek the Lord their God followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. ¹⁷ So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years,^(G) because they walked in the ways of David and Solomon for three years.

¹⁸ Rehoboam married Mahalath, daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab.^{(H) 19} She bore sons to him: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. ²⁰ After her, he married Maacah daughter^[b](I) of Absalom. She bore Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith to him. ²¹ Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. He acquired eighteen wives^(J) and sixty concubines and was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

²² Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief, leader among his brothers, intending to make him king.^{(K) 23} Rehoboam also showed discernment by dispersing some of his sons to all the regions of Judah and Benjamin and to all the fortified cities. He gave them plenty of provisions and sought many wives for them.

Shishak’s Invasion

12 When Rehoboam had established his sovereignty and royal power,^(L) he abandoned the law of the Lord – he and all Israel with him. ² Because they were unfaithful to the Lord, in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, King Shishak^(M) of Egypt went to war against Jerusalem^{(N) 3} with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 cavalry, and countless people who came with him from Egypt – Libyans,^(O) Sukkiim, and Cushites. ⁴ He captured the fortified cities^(P) of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

⁵ Then the prophet Shemaiah^(Q) went to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who were gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak. He said to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have abandoned me; therefore, I have abandoned you to Shishak.’^(R)

⁶ So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, ‘The Lord is righteous.’^(S)

⁷ When the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, the Lord’s message came to Shemaiah: ‘They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them but will grant them a little deliverance.^(T) My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.^{(U) 8} However, they will become his servants so that they may recognise the difference between serving me and serving the kingdoms of other lands.’^(V)