The people had not yet gone to such lengths in apostasy that they despised the judgments of God. In the losses sustained by the invasion of Shishak, they recognized the hand of God and for a time humbled themselves. "The Lord is righteous," they acknowledged. "And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and My wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know My service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.

Folket var endnu ikke gået så vidt i deres frafald, at de foragtede Guds straffedomme. De så Guds finger i de tab, som de led ved Sjisjaks invasion, og ydmygede sig for en tid. "Herren er retfærdig!" sagde de. "Da Herren så, at de havde ydmyget sig, kom Herrens ord til Sjemaja således: "De har ydmyget sig; derfor vil jeg ikke tilintetgøre dem, men frelse dem om ikke længe, og min vrede skal ikke udgydes over Jerusalem ved Sjisjak; men de skal komme til at stå under ham og lære at kende forskellen mellem at tjene mig og at tjene hedningenationerne!"