Manasseh Reigns in Judah(A)

21 Manasseh (B)was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, (C)according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. For he rebuilt the [a]high places (D)which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; he raised up altars for Baal, and made a [b]wooden image, (E)as Ahab king of Israel had done; and he (F)worshiped all [c]the host of heaven and served them. (G)He also built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, (H)“In Jerusalem I will put My name.” And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the (I)two courts of the house of the Lord. (J)Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced (K)soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. He even set a carved image of [d]Asherah that he had made, in the [e]house of which the Lord had said to David and to Solomon his son, (L)“In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; (M)and I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers—only if they are careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them.” But they paid no attention, and Manasseh (N)seduced them to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.

10 And the Lord spoke (O)by His servants the prophets, saying, 11 (P)“Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations ((Q)he has acted more wickedly than all the (R)Amorites who were before him, and (S)has also made Judah sin with his idols), 12 therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both (T)his ears will tingle. 13 And I will stretch over Jerusalem (U)the measuring line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab; (V)I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 So I will forsake the (W)remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become victims of plunder to all their enemies, 15 because they have done evil in My sight, and have provoked Me to anger since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.’ ”

16 (X)Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides his sin by which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the Lord.

17 Now (Y)the rest of the acts of (Z)Manasseh—all that he did, and the sin that he committed—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 18 So (AA)Manasseh [f]rested with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza. Then his son Amon reigned in his place.

Amon’s Reign and Death(AB)

19 (AC)Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. 20 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, (AD)as his father Manasseh had done. 21 So he walked in all the ways that his father had walked; and he served the idols that his father had served, and worshiped them. 22 He (AE)forsook the Lord God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the Lord.

23 (AF)Then the servants of Amon (AG)conspired against him, and killed the king in his own house. 24 But the people of the land (AH)executed all those who had conspired against King Amon. Then the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place.

25 Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 26 And he was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza. Then Josiah his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 21:3 Places for pagan worship
  2. 2 Kings 21:3 Heb. Asherah, a Canaanite goddess
  3. 2 Kings 21:3 The gods of the Assyrians
  4. 2 Kings 21:7 A Canaanite goddess
  5. 2 Kings 21:7 Temple
  6. 2 Kings 21:18 Died and joined his ancestors

Manasseh King of Judah(A)(B)

21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah.(C) He did evil(D) in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices(E) of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places(F) his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal(G) and made an Asherah pole,(H) as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts(I) and worshiped them. He built altars(J) in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.”(K) In the two courts(L) of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. He sacrificed his own son(M) in the fire, practiced divination,(N) sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists.(O) He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing(P) his anger.

He took the carved Asherah pole(Q) he had made and put it in the temple,(R) of which the Lord 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(S) forever. I will not again(T) make the feet of the Israelites wander from the land I gave their ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them and will keep the whole Law that my servant Moses(U) gave them.” But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them astray, so that they did more evil(V) than the nations(W) the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.

10 The Lord said through his servants the prophets: 11 “Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil(X) than the Amorites(Y) who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols.(Z) 12 Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster(AA) on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.(AB) 13 I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line(AC) used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe(AD) out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 I will forsake(AE) the remnant(AF) of my inheritance and give them into the hands of enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their enemies; 15 they have done evil(AG) in my eyes and have aroused(AH) my anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until this day.”

16 Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood(AI) that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah(AJ) to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

17 As for the other events of Manasseh’s reign, and all he did, including the sin he committed, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 18 Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace garden,(AK) the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.

Amon King of Judah(AL)

19 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 evil(AM) in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. 21 He followed completely the ways of his father, worshiping the idols his father had worshiped, and bowing down to them. 22 He forsook(AN) the Lord, the God of his ancestors, and did not walk(AO) in obedience to him.

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

25 As for the other events of Amon’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 26 He was buried in his tomb in the garden(AS) of Uzza. And Josiah his son succeeded him as king.