2 Chronicles 33

1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem.

2 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD by following the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.

But he did evil before the Lord, in accord with all the abominations of the nations which the Lord overturned before the sons of Israel.

3 For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down, and he raised up altars for the Baals and made Asherah poles. And he worshiped and served all the host of heaven.

And turning away, he repaired the high places, which had been demolished by his father, Hezekiah. And he constructed altars to the Baals, and made sacred groves. And he adored the entire army of heaven, and he served them.

4 Manasseh also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever.”

Also, he built altars in the house of the Lord, about which the Lord had said, “My name shall be in Jerusalem forever.”

5 In both courtyards of the house of the LORD, he built altars to all the host of heaven.

But he built these for the entire army of heaven, in the two courts of the house of the Lord.

6 He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.

And he caused his sons to pass through fire in the Valley of the son of Hinnom. He observed dreams, followed divinations, served the occult arts, had with him magicians and enchanters, and worked many evils before the Lord, so that he provoked him.

7 Manasseh even took the carved image he had made and set it up in the house of God, of which God had said to David and his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will establish My Name forever.

Also, he set up a graven image and molten statue in the house of God, about which God said to David, and to his son Solomon: “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will place my name forever.

8 I will never again cause the feet of the Israelites to leave the land that I assigned to your fathers, if only they are careful to do all that I have commanded them through Moses—all the laws, statutes, and judgments.”

And I will not cause the foot of Israel to be moved from the land which I delivered to their fathers. Yet this is so, only if they will take care to do what I have instructed them, by the hand of Moses, with the entire law and the ceremonies and the judgments.”

9 So Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem astray, so that they did greater evil than the nations that the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites.

And so Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did evil, more so than all the nations which the Lord had overturned before the face of the sons of Israel.

10 And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they did not listen.

And the Lord spoke to him and to his people, but they were not willing to pay attention.

11 So the LORD brought against them the military commanders of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.

Therefore, he led over them the leaders of the army of the king of the Assyrians. And they captured Manasseh, and they led him, bound with chains and fetters, to Babylon.

12 And in his distress, Manasseh sought the favor of the LORD his God and earnestly humbled himself before the God of his fathers.

And after this, being in great anguish, he prayed to the Lord his God. And he did penance greatly before the God of his fathers.

13 And when he prayed to Him, the LORD received his plea and heard his petition; so He brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God.

And he petitioned and begged him intently. And he heeded his prayer, and led him back to Jerusalem, into his kingdom. And Manasseh realized that the Lord himself was God.

14 After this, Manasseh rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David from west of Gihon in the valley to the entrance of the Fish Gate, and he brought it around the hill of Ophel and heightened it considerably. He also stationed military commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah.

After these things, he built a wall outside the City of David, to the west of Gihon, at the steep valley, from the entrance to the fish gate, circling around as far as Ophel. And he raised it up greatly. And he appointed leaders of the army in all the fortified cities of Judah.

15 He removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, along with all the altars he had built on the temple mount and in Jerusalem, and he dumped them outside the city.

And he took away the foreign gods, and the idol from the house of the Lord, and also the altars which he had made on the mount of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem. And he cast all these things outside the city.

16 Then he restored the altar of the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and he told Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel.

Then he repaired the altar of the Lord, and he immolated upon it victims, and peace offerings, with praise. And he instructed Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel.

17 Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the LORD their God.

Yet still the people were immolating on the high places, to the Lord their God.

18 As for the rest of the acts of Manasseh, along with 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, they are indeed written in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

But the rest of the deeds of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and also the words of the seers who were speaking 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 and how God received his plea, as well as all his sin and unfaithfulness, and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself, they are indeed written in the Records of the Seers.

Also, his prayer and its heeding, and all his sins and contempt, and the sites on which he built high places and made sacred groves and statues, before he repented, have been written in the words of Hozai.

20 And Manasseh rested with his fathers and was buried at his palace. And his son Amon reigned in his place.

Then Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. And his son, Amon, reigned in his place.

21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years.

Amon was twenty-two years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for two years in Jerusalem.

22 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done. Amon served and sacrificed to all the idols that his father Manasseh had made,

And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his father Manasseh had done. And he immolated to all the idols that Manasseh had fabricated, and he served them.

23 but he did not humble himself before the LORD as his father Manasseh had done; instead, Amon increased his guilt.

But he did not turn his face to the Lord, as his father Manasseh had turned himself. And he sinned much more grievously.

24 Then the servants of Amon conspired against him and killed him in his palace.

And when his servants had conspired against him, they killed him in his own house.

25 But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place.

But the rest of the multitude of the people, having slain those who had struck down Amon, appointed his son, Josiah, as king in his place.