aManasseh was twelve
years
old
when he became
king
, and he reigned
fifty-five
years
in Jerusalem
.
aHe did evil
in the sight
of the LORD
according to the abominations
of the nations
whom
the LORD
dispossessed
before
the sons
of Israel
.
For ahe rebuilt the high
places
which
Hezekiah
his father
had broken
down
; bhe also erected
altars
for the Baals
and made
1Asherim
, and worshiped
all
the host
of heaven
and served
them.
aHe built altars
in the house
of the LORD
of which
the LORD
had said
, "My name
shall be bin Jerusalem
forever
."
For he built altars
for all
the host
of heaven
in athe two
courts
of the house
of the LORD
.
aHe made his sons pass
through the fire
in the valley
of Ben-hinnom
; and he practiced
witchcraft
, used
divination
, practiced
sorcery
and bdealt
with mediums
and spiritists
. He did
much
evil
in the sight
of the LORD
, provoking
Him to anger.
Then he put athe carved
image
of the idol
which
he had made
in the house
of God
, of which
God
had said
to David
and to Solomon
his son
, " bIn this
house
and in Jerusalem
, which
I have chosen
from all
the tribes
of Israel
, I will put
My name
forever
;
and I will not again remove
the foot
of Israel
from the land
awhich
I have appointed
for your fathers
, if
only
they will observe
to do
all
that I have commanded
them according to all
the law
, the statutes
and the ordinances
given through
Moses
."
Thus Manasseh misled
Judah
and the inhabitants
of Jerusalem
to do
more
evil
than
the nations
whom
the LORD
destroyed
before
the sons
of Israel
.
The LORD spoke
to Manasseh
and his people
, but athey paid
no
attention
.
aTherefore the LORD brought
the commanders
of the army
of the king
of Assyria
against
them, and they captured
Manasseh
with 1hooks
, bbound
him with bronze
chains and took
him to Babylon
.
When ahe was in distress, he entreated
the LORD
his God
and bhumbled
himself greatly
before
the God
of his fathers
.
When he prayed to Him, aHe was moved
by his entreaty
and heard
his supplication
, and brought
him again
to Jerusalem
to his kingdom
. Then Manasseh
bknew
that the LORD
was God
.
Now after this
he built
the outer
wall
of the city
of David
on the west
side
of aGihon
, in the valley
, even to the entrance
of the bFish
Gate
; and he encircled
the cOphel
with it and made
it very
high
. Then he put
army
commanders
in all
the fortified
cities
of Judah
.
He also aremoved the foreign
gods
and the idol
from the house
of the LORD
, as well as all
the altars
which
he had built
on the mountain
of the house
of the LORD
and in Jerusalem
, and he threw
them outside
the city
.
He set up the altar
of the LORD
and sacrificed
apeace
offerings
and thank
offerings
on it; and he ordered
Judah
to serve
the LORD
God
of Israel
.
Nevertheless athe people
still
sacrificed
in the high
places
, although only
to the LORD
their God
.
Now the rest of the acts
of Manasseh
even ahis prayer
to his God
, and the words
of bthe seers
who spoke
to him in the name
of the LORD
God
of Israel
, behold
, they are among
the records
of the kings
of cIsrael
.
His prayer also and ahow God was entreated
by him, and all
his sin
, his unfaithfulness
, and bthe sites
on which
he built
high
places
and erected
the Asherim
and the carved
images
, before
he humbled
himself, behold
, they are written
in the records
of the 1Hozai
.
So Manasseh slept
with his fathers
, and they buried
him in his own house
. And Amon
his son
became
king
in his place
.
aAmon was twenty-two
years
old
when he became
king
, and he reigned
two
years
in Jerusalem
.
He did evil
in the sight
of the LORD
as Manasseh
his father
ahad done
, and Amon
sacrificed
to all
bthe carved
images
which
his father
Manasseh
had made
, and he served
them.
Moreover, he did not humble himself before
the LORD
aas his father
Manasseh
had 1done
, but Amon
multiplied
guilt
.
Finally ahis servants conspired
against
him and put
him to death
in his own house
.
But the people of the land
1killed
all
the conspirators
against
King
Amon
, and the people
of the land
made
Josiah
his son
king
in his place
.