Add parallel Print Page Options

So in the fifth year of Rehoboam's rule, the Lord punished them for their unfaithfulness and allowed King Shishak of Egypt to invade Judah. Shishak attacked with his army of 1,200 chariots and 60,000 cavalry troops, as well as countless Egyptian soldiers from Libya, Sukkoth, and Ethiopia.[a] He captured every one of the fortified cities in Judah and then marched to Jerusalem.

Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah had gone to Jerusalem to escape Shishak's invasion. And while they were there, Shemaiah the prophet told them, “The Lord says that because you have disobeyed him, he has now abandoned you. The Lord will not help you against Shishak!”

Rehoboam and the leaders were sorry for what they had done and admitted, “The Lord is right. We have deserted him.”

When the Lord heard this, he told Shemaiah:

The people of Judah are truly sorry for their sins, and so I won't let Shishak completely destroy them. But because I am still angry, he will conquer and rule them.

Then my people will know what it's like to serve a foreign king instead of serving me.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 12.3 Ethiopia: The Hebrew text has “Cush,” which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.

Bible Gateway Recommends