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

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

2 H e 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.

He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, after the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh cast out before the children of Israel.

3 F or 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.

For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; and he reared up altars for the Baals, and made Asheroth, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served them.

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

He built altars in Yahweh’s house, of which Yahweh said, “My name shall be in Jerusalem forever.”

5 H e built altars for all the stars of heaven in the two open spaces of the house of the Lord.

He built altars for all the army of the sky in the two courts of Yahweh’s house.

6 A nd 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.

He also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom; and he practiced sorcery, and used enchantments, and practiced sorcery, and dealt with those who had familiar spirits, and with wizards: he did much evil in Yahweh’s sight, to provoke him to anger.

7 M anasseh 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.

He set the engraved image of the idol, which he had made, in God’s house, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever:

8 A nd 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.”

neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from off the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them, even all the law and the statutes and the ordinances given by Moses.”

9 M anasseh 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

Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did more evil than the nations whom Yahweh destroyed before the children of Israel did.

10 T he Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen.

Yahweh spoke to Manasseh, and to his people; but they gave no heed.

11 S o 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.

Therefore Yahweh brought on them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

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

When he was in distress, he begged Yahweh his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.

13 W hen 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.

He prayed to him; and he was entreated by him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Yahweh was God.

14 A fter 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.

Now after this he built an outer wall to David’s city, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance at the fish gate; and he encircled Ophel with it, and raised it up to a very great height: and he put valiant captains in all the fortified cities of Judah.

15 H e 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.

He took away the foreign gods, and the idol out of Yahweh’s house, and all the altars that he had built in the mountain of Yahweh’s house, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.

16 H e 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.

He built up the altar of Yahweh, and offered sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving on it, and commanded Judah to serve Yahweh, the God of Israel.

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

Nevertheless the people sacrificed still in the high places, but only to Yahweh their God.

18 N ow 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.

Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, behold, they are written among the acts of the kings of Israel.

19 H is 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.

His prayer also, and how God was entreated of him, and all his sin and his trespass, and the places in which he built high places, and set up the Asherah poles and the engraved images, before he humbled himself: behold, they are written in the history of Hozai.

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

So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his place.

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

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

22 A mon 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.

He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, as did Manasseh his father; and Amon sacrificed to all the engraved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them.

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

He didn’t humble himself before Yahweh, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but this same Amon trespassed more and more.

24 H is servants made plans against him, and killed him in his own house.

His servants conspired against him, and put him to death in his own house.

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

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