King Manasseh’s Transgressions

33 Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king, and he reigned 55 years in Jerusalem. ² He did evil in the sight of Adonai, just like the abominations of the nations that Adonai had driven out before Bnei-Yisrael. ³ For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had demolished, he reerected altars for the Baalim, made Asherah poles, and bowed down to all the host of heaven and worshipped them. ⁴ He built altars in the House of Adonai—of which Adonai had said, “My Name will be in Jerusalem forever.” ⁵ He also built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courtyards of the House of Adonai. ⁶ Furthermore, he made his children pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom and practiced witchcraft, divination and sorcery, and consulted ghosts and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of Adonai, provoking Him to anger.

⁷ Then he placed the carved image of the idol that he had made in the House of God—of which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this House and in Jerusalem that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My Name forever. ⁸ I will never again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for their fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them—all the Torah, the statutes, and the ordinances delivered by the hand of Moses.”

⁹ But Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations whom Adonai destroyed before Bnei-Yisrael. ¹⁰ Adonai spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.

Assyrians Sent to Chasten Manasseh

¹¹ Therefore, Adonai brought against them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze shackles, and led him to Babylon.

¹² In his distress, he entreated Adonai his God and greatly humbled himself before the God of his fathers. ¹³ When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty, heard his plea and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Adonai, He is God.

¹⁴ Afterward he built an outer wall to the city of David west of Gihon in the valley, as far as the entrance to the Fish Gate, and encircling the Ophel; he also raised it up much higher. He stationed military officers in all the fortified cities of Judah.

¹⁵ He also removed the foreign gods and idols from the House of Adonai, as well as all the altars that he had built on the mount of the House of Adonai and in Jerusalem and threw them outside the city. ¹⁶ He rebuilt the altar of Adonai and sacrificed on it sacrifices of fellowship and thanksgiving, and commanded Judah to serve Adonai the God of Israel. ¹⁷ Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed in the high places, but only to Adonai their God.

¹⁸ Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the Name of Adonai the God of Israel, behold, they are written in the records of the kings of Israel. ¹⁹ His prayer also, and how God was moved by his entreaty, all his sin and his unfaithfulness, and the sites on which he built high places and erected the Asherah poles and the carved images before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the records of Hozai. ²⁰ Manasseh slept with his fathers and they buried him in his own house. His son Amon became king in his place.

Wicked King Amon Assassinated

²¹ Amon was 22 years old when he became king and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. ²² He did what was evil in the sight of Adonai just as his father Manasseh had done. Amon sacrificed to all the carved images that Manasseh his father had made, and worshipped them. ²³ He did not humble himself before Adonai as his father Manasseh had humbled himself. Instead Amon increased his guilt. ²⁴ So his servants conspired against him and assassinated him in his own house. ²⁵ Then the people of the land struck down all who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place.