CHAPTER 12
1 And when the realm of Rehoboam was made strong and strengthened, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. (But when Rehoboam’s kingdom was made strong and established, he abandoned the Law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.)
2 And in the fifth year of the realm of Rehoboam, Shishak, king of Egypt, went up into Jerusalem, for they, that is, the men of Jerusalem, [had] sinned against the Lord; (And in the fifth year of the reign of Rehoboam, Shishak, the king of Egypt, went up against Jerusalem, for they, that is, the people of Jerusalem, had sinned against the Lord;)
3 and he ascended with a thousand and two hundred chariots, and with sixty thousand horsemen, and no number was of the common people, that came with him from Egypt, that is, Libyans, and Troglodytes, and Ethiopians. (and he went up with a thousand and two hundred chariots, and sixty thousand horsemen, and there was no number of the common people, who came with him from Egypt, that is, Libyans, and Sukkiims, and Ethiopians.)
4 And he took [the] full strong cities in Judah, and he came to Jerusalem. (And he took the fortified cities in Judah, and then he came to Jerusalem.)
5 And Shemaiah, the prophet, entered to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, which, fleeing from Shishak, were gathered together in Jerusalem. And he said to them, The Lord saith these things, Ye have forsaken me, and I have forsaken you in the hand of Shishak. (And the prophet Shemaiah went in to Rehoboam, and to the leaders of Judah, who, fleeing from Shishak, were gathered together in Jerusalem. And he said to them, The Lord saith these things, Ye have deserted me, and so now I have deserted you unto the power of Shishak.)
6 And the princes of Israel and the king were astonished, and said, The Lord is just. (And Israel’s leaders and the king were astonished, but they said, The Lord is just.)
7 And when the Lord had seen that they were meeked, the word of the Lord was made to Shemaiah, and said, For they be meeked, I shall not destroy them, and I shall give to them a little help, and my strong vengeance shall not drop upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. (And when the Lord had seen that they were humbled, the word of the Lord was made to Shemaiah, and said, For they be humbled, I shall not destroy them, and I shall give them a little help, and my strong vengeance shall not drop upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.)
8 Nevertheless they shall serve him, that they know the diversity of my service, and of the service of the realm of lands. (But they shall still serve him, so that they know the difference between serving me, and serving the rulers of other lands.)
9 Therefore Shishak, the king of Egypt, went away from Jerusalem, after that he had taken away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the king’s house; and he took all things with him, and (even) the gold shields which Solomon had made,
10 for which golden shields king Rehoboam made brazen shields, and he betook those to the princes of [the] shield-makers, that kept the porch of the palace. (for which gold shields King Rehoboam then made bronze shields, and he gave them to the leaders of the guards, who guarded the entrance to the palace.)
11 And when the king entered into the house of the Lord, the shield-makers came, and took those shields, and (then) they brought them again to his armoury place. (And when the king entered into the House of the Lord, the guards came, and brought those shields, and afterward they took them back to his armoury.)
12 Nevertheless for they were meeked, the ire of the Lord was turned away from them, and they were not done away utterly; for good works were found also in Judah. (But because they were humbled, the Lord’s anger was turned away from them, and they were not utterly done away with; for good works were also found in Judah.)
13 Therefore king Rehoboam was comforted in Jerusalem, and reigned, (or And so King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned). And he was of one and forty years, when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord chose (out) of all the lineages of Israel, that he should confirm his name there. And the name of his mother was Naamah (an) Ammonitess.
14 And he did evil, and he made not ready his heart to seek God. (But he did evil, and he did not ordain his heart to seek God’s will.)
15 And the first and the last works of Rehoboam be written, and diligently declared, in the books of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the prophet. And Rehoboam and Jeroboam fought in all days against themselves (or And Rehoboam and Jeroboam fought against each other in all their days).
16 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David; and Abijah, his son, reigned for him.