< 2 Chronicles 33 >
1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.
Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.
2 He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, like the disgusting things of the nations whom Yahweh had driven out before the people of Israel.
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.
3 For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down, and he built altars for the Baals, he made Asherah poles, and he bowed down to all the stars of heaven and worshiped them.
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.
4 Manasseh built altars in the house of Yahweh, although Yahweh had commanded, “It is in Jerusalem that my name will be forever.”
He built altars in the LORD’s house, of which the LORD said, “My name shall be in Jerusalem forever.”
5 He built altars for all the stars of heaven in the two courtyards of the house of Yahweh.
He built altars for all the army of the sky in the two courts of the LORD’s house.
6 In the Valley of Ben Hinnom he caused his sons to pass through the fire. He practiced sorcery, divination and he read omens, and he consulted with those who talked with the dead and with those who talked with spirits. Manasseh did much evil in the sight of Yahweh, and he provoked him to anger.
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.
7 The carved figure he had made, he placed it in the house of God. It was about this house that God had spoken to David and Solomon his son; he had said, “It is in this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, that I will put my name forever.
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.
8 I will not move the people of Israel any more out of the land that I assigned to their ancestors, if they will only be careful to keep all that I have commanded them, following all the law, statutes, and decrees which I gave them through Moses.”
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.”
9 Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do evil even more than the nations that Yahweh had destroyed before the people of Israel.
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.
10 Yahweh spoke to Manasseh, and to his people, but they paid no attention.
The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they did not listen.
11 So Yahweh brought on them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, bound him with fetters, and took him off to Babylon.
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.
12 When Manasseh was in distress, he implored Yahweh, his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors.
When he was in distress, he begged the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.
13 He prayed to him; and God was begged by him, and God heard his begging and brought him back to Jerusalem, into his kingship. Then Manasseh knew that Yahweh was God.
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.
14 After this, Manasseh built an outer wall to the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, to the entrance at the Fish Gate. He surrounded the hill of Ophel with it and raised the wall up to a very great height. He put courageous commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah.
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.
15 He took away the foreign gods, the idol out of the house of Yahweh, and all the altars that he had built on the mount of the house of Yahweh and in Jerusalem, and threw them out of the city.
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.
16 He rebuilt the altar of Yahweh and offered on it sacrifices of fellowship offerings and thank offerings; he commanded Judah to serve Yahweh, the God of Israel.
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.
17 However, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to Yahweh, their God.
Nevertheless the people still sacrificed in the high places, but only to the LORD their God.
18 As to the other matters concerning Manasseh, his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, behold, they are written among the deeds of the kings of Israel.
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.
19 In that account there is history of his prayer, and how God was moved by it. There is also an account of all his sin and his trespasses, and the places where he had built high places and set up the Asherah poles and the carved figures, before he humbled himself—they are written about in the Chronicles of the Seers.
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.
20 So Manasseh slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in his own house. Amon, his son, became king in his place.
So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house; and Amon his son reigned in his place.
21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; he reigned two years in Jerusalem.
Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem.
22 He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, as Manasseh, his father, had done. Amon sacrificed to all the carved figures that Manasseh his father had made, and he worshiped them.
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.
23 He did not humble himself before Yahweh, as Manasseh his father had done. Instead, this same Amon trespassed more and more.
He did not humble himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but this same Amon trespassed more and more.
24 His servants conspired against him and put him to death in his own house.
His servants conspired against him, and put him to death in his own house.
25 But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and they made Josiah, his son, king in his place.
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.