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) 2} 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. ³ 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. ⁴ He built altars^(J) in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.”^{(K) 5} In the two courts^(L) of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. ⁶ 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.

⁷ 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.

The Valley of Slaughter

³⁰ “‘The people of Judah have done evil^(A) in my eyes, declares the Lord. They have set up their detestable idols^(B) in the house that bears my Name and have defiled^(C) it.

⁴ For they have forsaken^(A) me and made this a place of foreign gods^(B); they have burned incense^(C) in it to gods that neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah ever knew, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.^{(D) 5} They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children^(E) in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind.^{(F) 6} So beware, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when people will no longer call this place Topheth^(G) or the Valley of Ben Hinnom,^(H) but the Valley of Slaughter.^(I)

⁵ Then he said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol^(A) of jealousy.