2 Kings 21

1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah.

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.

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.

3 For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he built altars for Baal, made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and he bowed down to all the stars of heaven and worshiped them.

For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, and he raised up altars for Baal. He made an Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, and he worshiped and served all the host of heaven.

4 Manasseh built altars in the house of Yahweh, although Yahweh had commanded, “It is in Jerusalem that my name will be forever.”

Manasseh also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My Name.”

5 He built altars for all the stars of heaven in the two courtyards of the house of Yahweh.

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

6 He caused his son to pass through the fire, he performed sorcery and divination and consulted with those who talked with the dead and with those who talked with spirits. He did much evil in the sight of Yahweh, provoking him to anger.

He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.

7 The carved figure of Asherah that he had made, he placed it in the house of Yahweh. It was about this house that Yahweh 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.

Manasseh even took the carved Asherah pole he had made and set it up in the temple, of which the LORD 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.

8 I will not cause the feet of Israel to wander any more out of the land that I gave to their ancestors, if they will only be careful to obey all that I have commanded them, and to follow all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.”

I will never again cause the feet of the Israelites to wander from the land that I gave to their fathers, if only they are careful to do all I have commanded them—the whole Law that My servant Moses commanded them.”

9 But the people did not listen, and Manasseh led them to do evil even more than the nations that Yahweh had destroyed before the people of Israel.

But the people did not listen and Manasseh led them astray, so that they did greater evil than the nations that the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites.

10 So Yahweh spoke by his servants the prophets, saying,

And the LORD spoke through His servants the prophets, saying,

11 “Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these disgusting things, and has acted wickedly more than all that the Amorites who were before him did, and has also made Judah sin with his idols,

“Since Manasseh king of Judah has committed all these abominations, acting more wickedly than the Amorites who preceded him, and with his idols has caused Judah to sin,

12 therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, says this: Look, I am about to bring such evil on Jerusalem and Judah that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle.

this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah that the news will reverberate in the ears of all who hear it.

13 I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria, and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab; I will wipe Jerusalem clean, as a man wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.

I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab, and I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes out a bowl—wiping it and turning it upside down.

14 I will throw off the remnant of my inheritance and give them into the hand of their enemies. They will become victims and plunder for all their enemies,

So I will forsake the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hands of their enemies. And they will become plunder and spoil to all their enemies,

15 because they have done what is evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their ancestors came out of Egypt, to this day.”

because they have done evil in My sight and have provoked Me to anger from the day their fathers came out of Egypt until this day.’”

16 Moreover, Manasseh shed much innocent blood, until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another with death. This was in addition to the sin by which he made Judah to sin, when they did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh.

Moreover, Manasseh shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end, in addition to the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, doing evil in the sight of the LORD.

17 As for the other matters concerning Manasseh, all that he did, and the sin that he committed, are they not written in the book of the events of the kings of Judah?

As for the rest of the acts of Manasseh, along with all his accomplishments and the sin that he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

18 Manasseh slept with his ancestors and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza. Amon his son became king in his place.

And Manasseh rested with his fathers and was buried in his palace garden, the garden of Uzza. And his son Amon reigned in his place.

19 Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Meshullemeth; she was the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.

Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz; she was from Jotbah.

20 He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, as Manasseh his father had done.

And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done.

21 Amon followed in all the way that his father had walked in and worshiped the idols that his father worshiped, and bowed down to them.

He walked in all the ways of his father, and he served and worshiped the idols his father had served.

22 He abandoned Yahweh, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of Yahweh.

He abandoned the LORD, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the LORD.

23 The servants of Amon conspired against him and put the king to death in his own house.

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

24 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 they made his son Josiah king in his place.

25 As for the other matters concerning Amon that he did, are they not written in the book of the events of the kings of Judah?

As for the rest of the acts of Amon, along with his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

26 The people buried him in his tomb in the garden of Uzza, and Josiah his son became king in his place.

And he was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza, and his son Josiah reigned in his place.