1 ¶ Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king. And he ruled for fifty-five years in Jerusalem.

2 A nd he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the Gentiles, whom the LORD had cast out before the sons of Israel.

He did what was bad in the eyes of the Lord. He did the hated things of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the sons of Israel.

3 F or he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah, his father, had broken down, and he raised up altars for the Baalim and made groves and worshipped all the host of the heavens and served them.

For he built again the high places which his father Hezekiah had broken down. He built altars for the false gods of Baal and made objects of worship for the false goddess Asherah. He worshiped all the stars of heaven and served them.

4 H e also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever.

And he built altars in the Lord’s house, of which the Lord had said, “My name will be in Jerusalem forever.”

5 H e likewise built altars for all the host of the heavens in the two courts of the house of the LORD.

He built altars for all the stars of heaven in the two open spaces of the house of the Lord.

6 A nd he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the valley of the sons of Hinnom; he also observed times, used enchantments, and was given over to witchcraft, consulting with spiritists and with diviners; he multiplied in doing much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

And he burned his sons as a gift in the valley of Ben-hinnom. He did witchcraft and asked the demon world about the future. He asked the demon world to do very special things, and he talked with people who spoke with the spirits of the dead. He did what was very bad in the eyes of the Lord, and made Him angry.

7 I n addition to this, he set a graven image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen over all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name for ever;

Manasseh made an object to look like a false god, and put it in God’s house, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem which I have chosen from all the families of Israel, I will put My name forever.

8 n either will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers under the condition that they take, keep, and do all that I have commanded them, the whole law, the statutes and the rights by the hand of Moses.

And I will never again take Israel out of the land which I have chosen for your fathers, if only they will obey all that I have told them in the Laws given through Moses.”

9 S o Manasseh deceived Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to do more evil than the Gentiles, whom the LORD had destroyed before the sons of Israel.

Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to do more sinful things than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel. Manasseh Turns from His Sin

10 A nd the LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they would not hearken.

The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen.

11 ¶ Therefore, the LORD brought upon them the princes of the host of the king of Assyria who took Manasseh and bound him with fetters of brass and carried him to Babylon.

So the Lord brought the captains of the army of the king of Assyria against them. And they took Manasseh with hooks and tied him with brass chains and brought him to Babylon.

12 A nd when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,

When Manasseh was in trouble, he prayed to the Lord his God, and put away his pride before the God of his fathers.

13 a nd when he prayed unto him, he was heard; for he heard his supplication and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.

When he prayed to Him, God heard his prayer and listened to him, and brought him again to Jerusalem and to his nation. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.

14 N ow after, this he built the wall outside the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, and at the entrance of the fish gate, and fenced Ophel and raised it up to a very great height and put captains of the army in all the fenced cities of Judah.

After this he built the outside wall of the city of David on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, as far as the Fish Gate. He built it around the Ophel, and made it very high. Then he put army captains in all the strong cities of Judah.

15 L ikewise, he took away the strange gods and the idol 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.

He took away the strange gods and the false god from the house of the Lord. And he took away all the altars he had built on the mountain of the Lord’s house and in Jerusalem, and threw them outside the city.

16 A nd he repaired the altar of the LORD and sacrificed upon it sacrifices of peace and of praise and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.

He set up the altar of the Lord and gave peace gifts and thank gifts in worship on it. And he told Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel.

17 N evertheless, the people still sacrificed in the high places, yet unto the LORD their God only.

But the people still killed animals in worship at the high places, but only to the Lord their God. The End of Manasseh’s Rule

18 N ow the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God and the words of the seers that spoke to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are written in the acts of the kings of Israel.

Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, his prayer to his God, and the words the men who spoke for God spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, are among the writings of the kings of Israel.

19 H is prayer also and how he was heard, and all his sins, and his trespass, and the places upon which he built high places, and set up groves and graven images, before he humbled himself; behold, these things are written among the words of the seers.

His prayer and how God heard his prayer, and of all his sin and how he was not faithful, are found in the writings of the men who spoke for God. Also it is written where he built the high places, and made the objects of the false goddess Asherah, and made objects to look like gods, before he put away his pride.

20 S o Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house; and Amon, his son, reigned in his stead.

So Manasseh died and they buried him in his own house. And his son Amon became king in his place.

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

Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and ruled for two years in Jerusalem.

22 B ut he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as Manasseh his father had done, for Amon sacrificed unto all the graven images which Manasseh, his father, had made, and served them.

Amon did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. He killed animals in worship to all the false gods his father Manasseh had made, and he served them.

23 B ut he never humbled himself before the LORD as Manasseh, his father, humbled himself; to the contrary Amon multiplied the guilt.

He did not put away his pride before the Lord as his father Manasseh had done, but Amon added to his guilt.

24 A nd his slaves conspired against him and slew him in his own house.

His servants made plans against him, and killed him in his own house.

25 B ut the people of the land slew all those that had conspired against King Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah, his son, king in his stead.

But the people of the land killed all those who had killed King Amon and made his son Josiah king in his place.