A misinterpretation of this passage is to see it as God arbitrarily or permanently abandoning people without hope of restoration, ignoring the immediate context where Judah humbles themselves and receives mercy (verses 6-7), or to apply it universally to all suffering as direct punishment rather than recognizing it as specific judgment on Rehoboam's idolatry after Solomon's death; it is not a blanket endorsement of retribution theology devoid of grace but a call to recognize sin's consequences and repent.
II Chronicles 12:5
King James Version (1769)
5 Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.
The core truth of II Chronicles 12:5 is God's sovereign warning through the prophet Shemaiah to King Rehoboam and Judah's leaders that their forsaking Him by turning to idolatry has led to divine discipline, leaving them vulnerable to Shishak's invasion; this illustrates the principle of reaping spiritual consequences for disobedience while highlighting God's justice in using adversity to confront sin and call His people back to faithfulness.