33 Manasseh an idolater. 9 He causeth Judah to err. 11 He is led away prisoner into Babylon. 12 He prayeth to the Lord, and is delivered. 14 He abolisheth idolatry, 16 and setteth up true religion. 20 He dieth, and Amon his son succeedeth. 24 Whom his own servants slay.

Manasseh was twelve years old, (A)when he began to reign, and he reigned five and fifty years in Jerusalem:

And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, like the abominations of the heathen, (B)whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.

For he went back and built the high places, (C)which Hezekiah his father had broken down: (D)and he set up altars for Baal, and made groves and worshipped all the host of the heaven, and served them.

Also he built altars in the house of the Lord, whereof the Lord had said, (E)In Jerusalem shall my Name be forever.

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

And he caused his sons to [a]pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom: he gave himself to witchcraft and to charming, and to sorcery, and he used them that had familiar spirits, and soothsayers: he did very much evil in the sight of the Lord to anger him.

He put also the carved image, which he had made, in the house of God: whereof God had said to David and to Solomon his son, (F)In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my Name forever.

Neither will I (G)make the foot of Israel to remove anymore out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers, so that they take heed, and do all that I have commanded them, according to the Law and statutes and judgments by the [b]hand of Moses.

So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.

10 ¶ And the Lord spake to [c]Manasseh and to his people, but they would not regard.

11 Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh and put him in fetters, and bound him in chains, and carried him to Babel.

12 And when he was in tribulation, he prayed to the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,

13 And prayed unto him: and God was [d]entreated of him, and heard his prayer, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom: then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.

14 Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the West side of [e]Gihon in the valley, even at the entry of the fish gate, and compassed about [f]Ophel, and raised it very high, and put captains of war in all the strong cities of Judah.

15 And he took away the strange gods and the image out of the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.

16 Also he prepared the [g]altar of the Lord, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings, and of thanks, and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel.

17 Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, but unto the [h]Lord their God.

18 ¶ Concerning the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his [i]prayer unto his God, and the words of the Seers, that spake to him in the Name of the Lord God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the Kings of Israel.

19 And his prayer and how God was entreated of him, and all his sin, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set groves and images (before he was humbled) behold, they are written in the book of the [j]Seers.

20 So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own [k]house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

21 ¶Amon was two and twenty years old, when he began to reign, and reigned two years in Jerusalem.

22 But he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed to all the images, which Manasseh his father had made, and served them.

23 And he humbled not himself before the Lord, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself: but this Amon trespassed more and more.

24 And his servants (H)conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.

25 But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against King Amon: and the people of the land made Josiah his son King in his stead.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 33:6 Read 2 Kings 16:3.
  2. 2 Chronicles 33:8 By the charge given to Moses.
  3. 2 Chronicles 33:10 Meaning by his Prophets, but their hearts were not touched to believe and repent, without the which the preaching of the word taketh no place.
  4. 2 Chronicles 33:13 Thus affliction giveth understanding: for he that hated God in his prosperity, now in his misery he seeketh unto him.
  5. 2 Chronicles 33:14 Read 2 Chron. 32:30.
  6. 2 Chronicles 33:14 Read 2 Chron. 27:3.
  7. 2 Chronicles 33:16 Which Solomon had caused to be made.
  8. 2 Chronicles 33:17 Thus by ignorance they were deceived, thinking it nothing to keep the altars, so that they worshipped God: but it is idolatry to worship God any otherwise than he hath appointed.
  9. 2 Chronicles 33:18 Which albeit that it is not contained in the Hebrew, yet because it is here mentioned and is written in the Greek, we have placed it in the end of this book.
  10. 2 Chronicles 33:19 Or, Hozai.
  11. 2 Chronicles 33:20 Because he had so horribly offended against the Lord, they did not bury him in the sepulchers of the Kings, but in the garden of the King’s house.

Manasseh King of Judah(A)(B)

33 Manasseh(C) was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord,(D) following the detestable(E) practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles.(F) He bowed down(G) to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “My Name(H) will remain in Jerusalem forever.” In both courts of the temple of the Lord,(I) he built altars to all the starry hosts. He sacrificed his children(J) in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced divination and witchcraft, sought omens, and consulted mediums(K) and spiritists.(L) He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

He took the image he had made and put it in God’s temple,(M) of which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever. I will not again make the feet of the Israelites leave the land(N) I assigned to your ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them concerning all the laws, decrees and regulations given through Moses.” But Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.(O)

10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. 11 So the Lord brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner,(P) put a hook(Q) in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles(R) and took him to Babylon. 12 In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled(S) himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. 13 And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.

14 Afterward he rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David, west of the Gihon(T) spring in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate(U) and encircling the hill of Ophel;(V) he also made it much higher. He stationed military commanders in all the fortified cities in Judah.

15 He got rid of the foreign gods and removed(W) the image from the temple of the Lord, as well as all the altars he had built on the temple hill and in Jerusalem; and he threw them out of the city. 16 Then he restored the altar of the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offerings and thank offerings(X) on it, and told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. 17 The people, however, continued to sacrifice at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.

18 The other events of Manasseh’s reign, including his prayer to his God and the words the seers spoke to him in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, are written in the annals of the kings of Israel.[a] 19 His prayer and how God was moved by his entreaty, as well as all his sins and unfaithfulness, and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled(Y) himself—all these are written in the records of the seers.[b](Z) 20 Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried(AA) in his palace. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.

Amon King of Judah(AB)

21 Amon(AC) was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. 22 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. Amon worshiped and offered sacrifices to all the idols Manasseh had made. 23 But unlike his father Manasseh, he did not humble(AD) himself before the Lord; Amon increased his guilt.

24 Amon’s officials conspired against him and assassinated him in his palace. 25 Then the people(AE) of the land killed all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah his son king in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 33:18 That is, Judah, as frequently in 2 Chronicles
  2. 2 Chronicles 33:19 One Hebrew manuscript and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts of Hozai