July 29th

Now it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, because they had been unfaithful to Yahweh, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem

with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were without number: the Lubim, the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians.

And he captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

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.

Then King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place and committed them to the hand of the commanders of the guard who kept the door of the king’s house.

Now it happened that as often as the king entered the house of Yahweh, the guards would come and carry them and then bring them back into the guards’ room.

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.

And he did evil because he did not set his heart to seek Yahweh.

Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, according to genealogical record? Now there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.

And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David; and Abijah his son became king in his place.

In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah.

He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.

Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

And Abijah began the battle with a military force of mighty men, 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam arranged them all for battle against him with 800,000 chosen men who were mighty men of valor.

Then Abijah rose up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel:

Do you not know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?

Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master,

and worthless men gathered about him, vile men, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon; he was young and timid and could not exert his strength before them.

“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.

Have you not driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to ordain himself with a bull from the herd and seven rams, even he may become a priest of what are no gods.

But as for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to Yahweh as priests, and the Levites are in their work.

And every morning and evening they burn to Yahweh burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and the showbread is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we keep the responsibility given by Yahweh our God, but you have forsaken Him.

And behold, God is with us at our head and His priests with the signal trumpets to raise the shout of war against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against Yahweh, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”

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.

Then the men of Judah raised a shout of war, and when the men of Judah raised the shout of war, then it was that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

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

And Abijah and his people struck them down with a great slaughter, and 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain.

Thus the sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the sons of Judah were strong because they leaned upon Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him several cities, Bethel with its towns, Jeshanah with its towns, and Ephron with its towns.

Now Jeroboam did not again recover power in the days of Abijah; and Yahweh smote him and he died.

But Abijah became stronger; and he took fourteen wives to himself, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his words are written in the treatise of the prophet Iddo.

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 Asa did what was good and right in the sight of Yahweh his God,

for he removed the foreign altars and high places, shattered the sacred pillars, cut the Asherim in pieces,

and said for Judah to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.

He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. And the kingdom was quiet before him.

And he built fortified cities in Judah, since the land was quiet, and there was no one at war with him during those years, because Yahweh had given him rest.

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.

Now Asa had a military force of 300,000 from Judah, bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin, bearing shields and wielding bows; all of them were mighty men of valor.

Then Zerah the Ethiopian went out against them with a military force of one million men and 300 chariots, and he came to Mareshah.

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.

And they struck down all the cities around Gerar, for the dread of Yahweh had fallen on them; and they plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them.

They also struck down those who owned livestock, and they carried away large numbers of sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

Now when it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

And there were more than forty who formed this scheme.

They came to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a curse to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.

So now you, along with the Sanhedrin, notify the commander to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more carefully; and we for our part are ready to slay him before he comes near.”

But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, he came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul.

And Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, “Lead this young man to the commander, for he has something to report to him.”

So he took him and led him to the commander and *said, “Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to lead this young man to you since he has something to tell you.”

And the commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to inquire of him privately, “What is it that you have to report to me?”

And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow to the Sanhedrin, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more carefully about him.

So do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of them—who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they slay him—are lying in wait for him and now they are ready and waiting for the promise from you.”

So the commander let the young man go, instructing him, “Tell no one that you have notified me of these things.”

And when he called to him two of the centurions, he said, “Make ready two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to proceed to Caesarea by the third hour of the night,

and provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”

And he wrote a letter having this form:

“Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings.

“When this man was arrested by the Jews and was about to be slain by them, I came up to them with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman.

And wanting to ascertain the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin;

and I found him to be accused over questions about their Law, but under no accusation deserving death or imprisonment.

“And when I was informed that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, also instructing his accusers to speak against him before you.”

So the soldiers, according to their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.

But the next day, leaving the horsemen to go on with him, they returned to the barracks.

When these had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.

And when he had read it, he asked from what province he was, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia,

he said, “I will give you a hearing after your accusers arrive also,” giving orders for him to be kept in Herod’s Praetorium.