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12 Rehoboam turns away from God, and is attacked by king Shishak of Egypt. Shemaiah admonishes Reheboam, so Jerusalem is spared, with Shishak only looting the king’s house and taking Solomon’s golden shields, which Rehoboam replaces with bronze ones. Rehoboam dies after a seventeen year reign.
13 Abijah becomes king of Judah, and taunts Jeroboam with a speech that attacks Israel’s impety and stresses Judah’s Levitical priesthood and its cultic protocols. Abijah is victorious, taking Bethel and other cities. Jeroboam never recovers his power after the war, weakens, and dies. Abijah has many children, and dies a mighty king.
14 Asa becomes king of Judah and follows the Lord, removing the high places and altars to foreign gods. Asa strengthens Judah’s defences during ten years of peace. Asa appeals to God following a threat from the Ethiopians. Judah is victorious, and gains much spoil.
15 The prophet Azariah exhorts Asa to seek the Lord. Asa purges the land of idols; the godly from Israel flock to Judah. Asa gathers all Judah, and makes a public covenant to seek the Lord, and to put to death any who do not. Maachah, Asa’s mother, is removed from her position as queen mother because she made an obscene image of Asherah. The high places are not removed, however. There is no war until the 35th year of Asa’s reign.
16 King Baasha of Israel blockades Asa’s Judah. Asa forms a treaty with Ben-Hadad of Syria, with whom he defeats Baasha, and loots Ramah. Hanani the prophet rebukes Asa for relying on the Syrians rather than on the Lord, and says that from now on, there shall be wars. Asa imprisons Asa. Asa becomes diseased in his feet, seeks the physician’s help rather than the Lord’s, and dies.
