< 2 Chronicles 33 >
1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.
Manasses was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.
2 He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, after the abominations of the nations whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
And he did evil before the Lord, according to all the abominations of the nations, which the Lord cast out before the children of Israel:
3 For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; and he raised up altars for the Baals, made Asheroth, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served them.
And he turned, and built again the high places which Ezechias his father had destroyed: and he built altars to Baalim, and made groves, and he adored all the host of heaven, and worshipped them.
4 He built altars in the LORD’s house, of which the LORD said, “My name shall be in Jerusalem forever.”
He built also altars in the house of the Lord, whereof the Lord had said: In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever.
5 He built altars for all the army of the sky in the two courts of the LORD’s house.
And he built them for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord.
6 He also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and dealt with those who had familiar spirits and with wizards. He did much evil in the LORD’s sight, to provoke him to anger.
And he made his sons to pass through the fire in the valley of Benennom: he observed dreams, followed divinations, gave himself up to magic arts, had with him magicians, and enchanters: and he wrought many evils before the Lord, to provoke him to anger.
7 He set the engraved image of the idol, which he had made, in God’s house, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever.
He set also a graven, and a molten statue in the house of God, of which God had said to David, and to Solomon his son: In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever.
8 I will not any more remove the foot of Israel from off the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them, even all the law, the statutes, and the ordinances given by Moses.”
And I will not make the foot of Israel to be removed out of the land which I have delivered to their fathers: yet so if they will take heed to do what I hare commanded them, and all the law, and the ceremonies, and judgments by the hand of Moses.
9 Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.
So Manasses seduced Juda, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to do evil beyond all the nations, which the Lord had destroyed before the face of the children of Israel.
10 The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they did not listen.
And the Lord spoke to him, and to his people, and they would not hearken.
11 Therefore the LORD brought on them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
Therefore he brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of the Assyrians: and they took Manasses, and carried him bound with chains and fetters to Babylon.
12 When he was in distress, he begged the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.
And after that he was in distress he prayed to the Lord his God: and did penance exceedingly before the God of his fathers.
13 He prayed to him; and he was entreated by him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.
And he entreated him, and besought him earnestly: and he heard his prayer, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom, and Manasses knew that the Lord was God.
14 Now after this, he built an outer wall to David’s city on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance at the fish gate. He encircled Ophel with it, and raised it up to a very great height; and he put valiant captains in all the fortified cities of Judah.
After this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon in the valley, from the entering in of the fish gate round about to Ophel, and raised it up to a great height: and he appointed captains of the army in all the fenced cities of Juda:
15 He took away the foreign gods and the idol out of the LORD’s house, and all the altars that he had built in the mountain of the LORD’s house and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.
And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the Lord: the altars also which he had made in the mount of the house of the Lord, and in Jerusalem, and he cast them all out of the city.
16 He built up the LORD’s altar, and offered sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving on it, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel.
And he repaired the altar of the Lord, and sacrificed upon it victims, and peace offerings, and praise: and he commanded Juda to serve the Lord the God of Israel.
17 Nevertheless the people still sacrificed in the high places, but only to the LORD their God.
Nevertheless the people still sacrificed in the high places to the Lord their God.
18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, behold, they are written among the acts of the kings of Israel.
But the rest of the acts of Manasses, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers that spoke to him in the name of the Lord the God of Israel, are contained in the words of the kings of Israel.
19 His prayer also, and how God listened to his request, and all his sin and his trespass, and the places in which he built high places and set up the Asherah poles and the engraved images before he humbled himself: behold, they are written in the history of Hozai.
His prayer also, and his being heard, and all his sins, and contempt, and places wherein he built high places, and set up groves, and statues before he did penance, are written in the words of Hozai.
20 So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house; and Amon his son reigned in his place.
And Manasses slept with his fathers. and they buried him in his house: and his son Amen reigned in his stead.
21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem.
Amen was two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem.
22 He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, as did Manasseh his father; and Amon sacrificed to all the engraved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them.
And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasses his father had done: and he sacrificed to all the idols which Manasses his father had made, and served them.
23 He did not humble himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but this same Amon trespassed more and more.
And he did not humble himself before the Lord, as Manasses his father had humbled himself, but committed far greater sins.
24 His servants conspired against him, and put him to death in his own house.
And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.
25 But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place.
But the rest of the multitude of the people slew them that had killed Amen, and made Josias his son king in his stead.