Study Desk

And he put large shields and spears in every city and strengthened them greatly. So he held Judah and Benjamin.

Now Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, "Thus says Yahweh, ‘You have forsaken Me, so I also have forsaken you to Shishak.'"

So the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "Yahweh is righteous."

When Yahweh saw that they humbled themselves, the word of Yahweh came to Shemaiah, saying, "They have humbled themselves so I will not bring them to ruin, but I will grant them some measure of escape, and My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

But they will become his slaves so that they may know the difference between My slavery and the slavery of the kingdoms of the countries."

So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took the treasures of the house of Yahweh and the treasures of the king's house. He took everything; he even took the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

And when he humbled himself, the anger of Yahweh turned away from him, so as not to ruin him completely; and also conditions were good in Judah.

So King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Now Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which Yahweh had chosen from all the tribes of Israel to put His name there. And his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess.

"So now you intend to exert your strength before the kingdom of Yahweh by the hand of the sons of David, being a great multitude and having with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made for gods for you.

But Jeroboam had encircled an ambush to come from the rear, so that Israel was in front of Judah and the ambush was behind them.

So Judah turned around, and behold, they were attacked both front and rear; so they cried to Yahweh, and the priests blew the trumpets.

So the sons of Israel fled before Judah, and God gave them into their hand.

So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Asa his son became king in his place. The land was quiet for ten years during his days.

And he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought Yahweh our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side." So they built and succeeded.

So Asa went out to meet him, and they arranged themselves for battle in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

Then Asa called to Yahweh his God and said, "Yahweh, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between those of abundant power and those who have no power; so help us, O Yahweh our God, for we lean on You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O Yahweh, You are our God; let not mortal man prevail against You."

So Yahweh smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.

And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar; and so many Ethiopians fell that they could not recover, for they were shattered before Yahweh and before His army. And they carried away very much spoil.

So they assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's reign.

All Judah was glad concerning the oath, for they had sworn with their whole heart and had searched for Him with all their desire, and He was found by them. So Yahweh gave them rest on every side.