< 2 Kings 21 >

1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to rule. He ruled Judah for 55 years from Jerusalem. His mother was Hephzibah.
בֶּן־שְׁתֵּ֨ים עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה שָׁנָה֙ מְנַשֶּׁ֣ה בְמָלְכֹ֔ו וַחֲמִשִּׁ֤ים וְחָמֵשׁ֙ שָׁנָ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְשֵׁ֥ם אִמֹּ֖ו חֶפְצִי־בָֽהּ׃
2 He did many things that Yahweh considered to be evil. He imitated the disgusting things that were formerly done by the people of the nations that Yahweh had expelled from the land of Israel as his people advanced [through the land].
וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה כְּתֹֽועֲבֹת֙ הַגֹּויִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר֙ הֹורִ֣ישׁ יְהוָ֔ה מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
3 He commanded his workers to rebuild the shrines [for worshiping Yahweh] that his father Hezekiah had destroyed [because they were not in the place that Yahweh had said they should worship him]. He directed his workers to build altars for worshiping Baal. He made [a statue of the goddess] Asherah, like Ahab the king of Israel had done [previously]. And Manasseh worshiped [DOU] the stars.
וַיָּ֗שָׁב וַיִּ֙בֶן֙ אֶת־הַבָּמֹ֔ות אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִבַּ֖ד חִזְקִיָּ֣הוּ אָבִ֑יו וַיָּ֨קֶם מִזְבְּחֹ֜ת לַבַּ֗עַל וַיַּ֤עַשׂ אֲשֵׁרָה֙ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֗ה אַחְאָב֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיִּשְׁתַּ֙חוּ֙ לְכָל־צְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֖ד אֹתָֽם׃
4 He directed his workers to build altars [for worshiping foreign gods] in the temple of Yahweh, about which Yahweh had said, “It is here in Jerusalem where I want people to worship [MTY] me, forever.”
וּבָנָ֥ה מִזְבְּחֹ֖ת בְּבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֙ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה בִּירוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם אָשִׂ֥ים אֶת־שְׁמִֽי׃
5 He directed that altars for worshiping the stars be built in both of the courtyards outside the temple.
וַיִּ֥בֶן מִזְבְּחֹ֖ות לְכָל־צְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם בִּשְׁתֵּ֖י חַצְרֹ֥ות בֵּית־יְהוָֽה׃
6 He even sacrificed his own son by burning [him in a fire]. He performed rituals to practice sorcery and magic rituals. He also went to people who consulted the spirits of dead people to find out what would happen in the future. He did many things that Yahweh considered to be extremely evil, things that caused Yahweh to become very angry.
וְהֶעֱבִ֤יר אֶת־בְּנֹו֙ בָּאֵ֔שׁ וְעֹונֵ֣ן וְנִחֵ֔שׁ וְעָ֥שָׂה אֹ֖וב וְיִדְּעֹנִ֑ים הִרְבָּ֗ה לַעֲשֹׂ֥ות הָרַ֛ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לְהַכְעִֽיס׃
7 He placed the statue of the goddess Asherah in the temple, the place about which Yahweh had said to David and his son Solomon, “My temple will be here in Jerusalem. This is the city that I have chosen from all the territory of the twelve tribes of Israel, where I want people to worship me, forever.
וַיָּ֕שֶׂם אֶת־פֶּ֥סֶל הָאֲשֵׁרָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה בַּבַּ֗יִת אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־דָּוִד֙ וְאֶל־שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה בְנֹ֔ו בַּבַּ֨יִת הַזֶּ֜ה וּבִירוּשָׁלַ֗͏ִם אֲשֶׁ֤ר בָּחַ֙רְתִּי֙ מִכֹּל֙ שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אָשִׂ֥ים אֶת־שְׁמִ֖י לְעֹולָֽם׃
8 And if the Israeli people obey all my commands and all the laws that I gave to Moses, the man who served me [very well], I will not again force them to leave this land that I gave to their ancestors.”
וְלֹ֣א אֹסִ֗יף לְהָנִיד֙ רֶ֣גֶל יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לַֽאֲבֹותָ֑ם רַ֣ק ׀ אִם־יִשְׁמְר֣וּ לַעֲשֹׂ֗ות כְּכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּיתִ֔ים וּלְכָל־הַ֨תֹּורָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה אֹתָ֖ם עַבְדִּ֥י מֹשֶֽׁה׃
9 But the people did not heed Yahweh. And Manasseh persuaded them to commit sins that are more evil than the sins that were committed by the people of the nations that Yahweh had expelled from the land as the Israeli people advanced.
וְלֹ֖א שָׁמֵ֑עוּ וַיַּתְעֵ֤ם מְנַשֶּׁה֙ לַעֲשֹׂ֣ות אֶת־הָרָ֔ע מִן־הַ֨גֹּויִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר֙ הִשְׁמִ֣יד יְהוָ֔ה מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
10 [These are some of the things that] the prophets said many times, messages that Yahweh had given them:
וַיְדַבֵּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה בְּיַד־עֲבָדָ֥יו הַנְּבִיאִ֖ים לֵאמֹֽר׃
11 “Manasseh, the king of Judah, has done these abominable things, things that are much worse than the things that the Amor people-group did in this land long ago. He has persuaded the people of Judah to sin by [worshiping] idols.
יַעַן֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֜ה מְנַשֶּׁ֤ה מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה֙ הַתֹּעֵבֹ֣ות הָאֵ֔לֶּה הֵרַ֕ע מִכֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂ֥וּ הָאֱמֹרִ֖י אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְפָנָ֑יו וַיַּחֲטִ֥א גַֽם־אֶת־יְהוּדָ֖ה בְּגִלּוּלָֽיו׃ פ
12 Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh, the God whom you Israeli people worship, say: I will the cause the people of Jerusalem and the rest of Judah to experience great disasters. It will be terrible, with the result that everyone who hears about it will be stunned [MTY].
לָכֵ֗ן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הִנְנִי֙ מֵבִ֣יא רָעָ֔ה עַל־יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם וִֽיהוּדָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֙ כָּל־שֹׁמְעָיו (שֹׁ֣מְעָ֔הּ) תִּצַּ֖לְנָה שְׁתֵּ֥י אָזְנָֽיו׃
13 I will judge and punish [MET] the people of Jerusalem like I punished the family of King Ahab [of Israel]. I will (wipe Jerusalem clean/remove all the people from Jerusalem), like [MET] people wipe a plate and then turn it upside down [after they have finished eating, to show that they are now satisfied].
וְנָטִ֣יתִי עַל־יְרוּשָׁלַ֗͏ִם אֵ֚ת קָ֣ו שֹֽׁמְרֹ֔ון וְאֶת־מִשְׁקֹ֖לֶת בֵּ֣ית אַחְאָ֑ב וּמָחִ֨יתִי אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַ֜͏ִם כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־יִמְחֶ֤ה אֶת־הַצַּלַּ֙חַת֙ מָחָ֔ה וְהָפַ֖ךְ עַל־פָּנֶֽיהָ׃
14 And I will abandon the people who remain alive, and I will allow their enemies to conquer them and steal everything valuable from their land.
וְנָטַשְׁתִּ֗י אֵ֚ת שְׁאֵרִ֣ית נַחֲלָתִ֔י וּנְתַתִּ֖ים בְּיַ֣ד אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֑ם וְהָי֥וּ לְבַ֛ז וְלִמְשִׁסָּ֖ה לְכָל־אֹיְבֵיהֶֽם׃
15 I will do this because my people have done things that I consider to be very evil, things which have caused me to become very angry. They have caused me to become angry continually, ever since their ancestors left Egypt.”
יַ֗עַן אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשׂ֤וּ אֶת־הָרַע֙ בְּעֵינַ֔י וַיִּהְי֥וּ מַכְעִסִ֖ים אֹתִ֑י מִן־הַיֹּ֗ום אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָצְא֤וּ אֲבֹותָם֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם וְעַ֖ד הַיֹּ֥ום הַזֶּֽה׃
16 Manasseh [commanded his officials to] kill many innocent people in Jerusalem, with the result that their blood flowed in the streets. He did this in addition to persuading the people of Judah to sin against Yahweh [by worshiping idols].
וְגַם֩ דָּ֨ם נָקִ֜י שָׁפַ֤ךְ מְנַשֶּׁה֙ הַרְבֵּ֣ה מְאֹ֔ד עַ֛ד אֲשֶׁר־מִלֵּ֥א אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם פֶּ֣ה לָפֶ֑ה לְבַ֤ד מֵֽחַטָּאתֹו֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֶחֱטִ֣יא אֶת־יְהוּדָ֔ה לַעֲשֹׂ֥ות הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
17 [If you want to know more about] all the things that Manasseh did, they are written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Judah’.
וְיֶ֨תֶר דִּבְרֵ֤י מְנַשֶּׁה֙ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה וְחַטָּאתֹ֖ו אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָטָ֑א הֲלֹא־הֵ֣ם כְּתוּבִ֗ים עַל־סֵ֛פֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י הַיָּמִ֖ים לְמַלְכֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃
18 Manasseh died [EUP] and was buried in the garden outside his palace, the garden that Uzza [had made]. Then Manasseh’s son Amon became the king.
וַיִּשְׁכַּ֤ב מְנַשֶּׁה֙ עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו וַיִּקָּבֵ֥ר בְּגַן־בֵּיתֹ֖ו בְּגַן־עֻזָּ֑א וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ אָמֹ֥ון בְּנֹ֖ו תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ פ
19 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king. He ruled Judah from Jerusalem for [only] two years. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth. She was from Jotbah [town], and was the granddaughter of Haruz.
בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וּשְׁתַּ֤יִם שָׁנָה֙ אָמֹ֣ון בְּמָלְכֹ֔ו וּשְׁתַּ֣יִם שָׁנִ֔ים מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמֹּ֔ו מְשֻׁלֶּ֥מֶת בַּת־חָר֖וּץ מִן־יָטְבָֽה׃
20 Amon did many things that Yahweh considered to be evil, like his father Manasseh had done.
וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה מְנַשֶּׁ֥ה אָבִֽיו׃
21 He imitated the behavior of his father, and he worshiped the same idols that his father had worshiped [DOU].
וַיֵּ֕לֶךְ בְּכָל־הַדֶּ֖רֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־הָלַ֣ךְ אָבִ֑יו וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֗ד אֶת־הַגִּלֻּלִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָבַ֣ד אָבִ֔יו וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ לָהֶֽם׃
22 He abandoned Yahweh, the God whom his ancestors [had worshiped], and did not behave as Yahweh wanted him to.
וַיַּעֲזֹ֕ב אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבֹתָ֑יו וְלֹ֥א הָלַ֖ךְ בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ יְהוָֽה׃
23 Then one day some of his officials plotted to kill him. They assassinated him in the palace.
וַיִּקְשְׁר֥וּ עַבְדֵֽי־אָמֹ֖ון עָלָ֑יו וַיָּמִ֥יתוּ אֶת־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בְּבֵיתֹֽו׃
24 But then the people of Judah killed all those who had assassinated King Amon, and they appointed his son Josiah to be their king.
וַיַּךְ֙ עַם־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַקֹּשְׁרִ֖ים עַל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אָמֹ֑ון וַיַּמְלִ֧יכוּ עַם־הָאָ֛רֶץ אֶת־יֹאשִׁיָּ֥הוּ בְנֹ֖ו תַּחְתָּֽיו׃
25 [If you want to read about] [RHQ] the other things that Amon did, they are written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Judah’.
וְיֶ֛תֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י אָמֹ֖ון אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה הֲלֹא־הֵ֣ם כְּתוּבִ֗ים עַל־סֵ֛פֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י הַיָּמִ֖ים לְמַלְכֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃
26 Amon was also buried in the tomb in the garden that Uzza [had made]. Then Amon’s son Josiah became the king.
וַיִּקְבְֹּ֥ר אֹתֹ֛ו בִּקְבֻרָתֹ֖ו בְּגַן־עֻזָּ֑א וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ יֹאשִׁיָּ֥הוּ בְנֹ֖ו תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ פ

< 2 Kings 21 >