Chronicles II 33

1 Manasses was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.

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

2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord destroyed from before the face of the children of Israel.

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 And he returned and built the high places, which his father Ezekias had pulled down, and set up images to Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.

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 And he built altars in the house of the Lord, concerning which the Lord said, In Jerusalem shall be my name for ever.

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

5 And he built altars to all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord.

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

6 He also passed his children through the fire in the valley of Benennom; and he divined, and used auspices, and sorceries, and appointed those who had divining spirits, and enchanters, and wrought abundant wickedness before the Lord, to provoke him.

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 And he set the graven [image], the molten [statue], the idol which he made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name for ever;

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 and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I gave to their fathers, if only they will take heed to do all things which I have commanded them, according to all the law and the ordinances and the judgments [given] by the hand of Moses.

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 Manasses led astray Juda and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to do evil beyond all the nations which the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel.

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 Manasses, and to his people: but they hearkened not.

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

11 And the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, and they took Manasses in bonds, and bound him in fetters, and brought 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 when he was afflicted, he sought the face of the Lord his God, and was greatly humbled before the face of 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 he prayed to him: and he hearkened to him, and listened to his cry, and brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom: and Manasses knew that the Lord he 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 And afterward he built a wall without the city of David, from the southwest southward in the valleys and at the entrance through the fish-gate, as men go out by the gate round about, even as far as Opel: and he raised it much, and set captains of the host in all the fortified cities in Juda.

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 And he removed the strange gods, and the graven [image] out of the house of the Lord, and all the altars which he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord, and in Jerusalem, and without 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 And he repaired the altar of the Lord, and offered upon it a sacrifice of peace-offering and thank-offering, and he told Juda to serve the Lord 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 on the high places, only to the Lord their God.

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

18 And the rest of the acts of Manasses, and his prayer to God, and the words of the seers that spoke to him in the name of the God 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 behold, [they are] in the account of his prayer; and [God] hearkened to him. And all his sins, and his backslidings, and the spots on which he built the high places, and set there groves and graven images, before he repented, behold, they are written in the books 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 Manasses slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the garden of his house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

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 and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem.

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

22 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasses did: and Amon sacrificed to all the idols which his father Manasses had made, and served them.

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 And he was not humbled before the Lord as his father Manasses was humbled; for his son Amon abounded in transgression.

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

24 And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his house.

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

25 And the people of the land slew the men who had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josias his son king in his stead.

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.