2 Kings 21-22

Complete Jewish Bible

21 M’nasheh was twelve years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for fifty-five years in Yerushalayim. His mother’s name was Heftzibah. ² He did what was evil from Adonai’s perspective, following the disgusting practices of the nations whom Adonai had expelled ahead of the people of Isra’el. ³ For he rebuilt the high places Hizkiyahu his father had destroyed; he erected altars for Ba‘al and made an asherah, as had Ach’av king of Isra’el; and he worshipped all the army of heaven and served them. ⁴ He erected altars in the house of Adonai, about which Adonai had said, “In Yerushalayim I will put my name.” ⁵ He erected altars for all the army of heaven in the two courtyards of the house of Adonai. ⁶ He made his son pass through the fire [as a sacrifice]. He practiced soothsaying and divination and appointed mediums and persons who used spirit guides. He did much that was evil from Adonai’s perspective, thus provoking him to anger. ⁷ He set the carved image for the asherah he had made in the house concerning which Adonai had told David and Shlomo his son, “In this house and in Yerushalayim, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Isra’el, I will put my name forever. ⁸ Also I will not have the feet of Isra’el wander any longer out of the land which I gave their ancestors — if only they will take heed to obey every order I have given them and live in accordance with all the Torah that my servant Moshe ordered them to obey.” ⁹ But they did not take heed; and M’nasheh misled them into doing even worse things than the nations Adonai had destroyed ahead of the people of Isra’el.

¹⁰ Adonai spoke this message through his servants the prophets: ¹¹ “Because M’nasheh king of Y’hudah has done these disgusting things; because he has done things more wicked than anything the Emori, who were there before him, did; also because with his idols he made Y’hudah sin; ¹² therefore here is what Adonai the God of Isra’el, says: ‘I am going to bring such calamity on Yerushalayim and Y’hudah that the ears of all who hear of it will tingle. ¹³ I will measure Yerushalayim with the same measuring cord that I used over Shomron, the same plumbline as for the house of Ach’av. I will scour Yerushalayim clean just as one scours a plate, scouring it and then turning it upside down. ¹⁴ I will abandon the remnant of my heritage, delivering them into the power of their enemies — they will become prey and plunder for all their enemies; ¹⁵ because they have done what is evil from my perspective and have provoked me to anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt to this very day.’”

¹⁶ Moreover, M’nasheh shed so much innocent blood that he flooded Yerushalayim from one end to the other — this in addition to his sin through which he caused Y’hudah to sin by doing what is evil from Adonai’s perspective.

¹⁷ Other activities of M’nasheh, all his accomplishments and the sin he committed are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y’hudah. ¹⁸ Then M’nasheh slept with his ancestors and was buried in the garden of his own house, the Garden of ‘Uza; and Amon his son took his place as king.

¹⁹ Amon was twenty-two years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for two years in Yerushalayim. His mother’s name was Meshulemet the daughter of Harutz from Yotvah. ²⁰ He did what was evil from Adonai’s perspective, as had M’nasheh his father. ²¹ He followed entirely the manner of life of his father, serving the idols that his father served and worshipping them. ²² He abandoned Adonai, the God of his ancestors, and did not live in Adonai’s way.

²³ Amon’s servants conspired against him and put the king to death in his own palace. ²⁴ But the people of the land put to death all those who had been part of the conspiracy against King Amon. Then the people of the land made Yoshiyahu his son king in place of him.

²⁵ Other activities of Amon and all he acomplished are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y’hudah. ²⁶ Amon was buried in his tomb in the Garden of Uza, and Yoshiyahu his son took his place as king.

22 Yoshiyahu was eight years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for thirty-one years in Yerushalayim. His mother’s name was Y’didah the daughter of ‘Adayah from Botzkat. ² He did what was right from Adonai’s perspective, living entirely in the manner of David his ancestor and turning away neither to the right nor to the left.

³ In the eighteenth year of King Yoshiyahu, the king sent Shafan the son of Atzalyahu, the son of Meshulam, the secretary, to the house of Adonai after instructing him, ⁴ “Go up to Hilkiyahu the cohen hagadol, and have him total the money that has been brought into the house of Adonai, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people. ⁵ Then have them give it to the supervisors of the work being done in the house of Adonai; they in turn are to use it to pay the laborers in the house of Adonai to repair damaged places in the building — ⁶ the carpenters, construction-workers and stonemasons — and to purchase timber and worked stone for doing the repairs on the building.” ⁷ However, they did not require an accounting from the supervisors given the money to spend, because they dealt honestly.

⁸ Hilkiyahu the cohen hagadol said to Shafan the secretary, “I have found the scroll of the Torah in the house of Adonai.” Hilkiyah gave the scroll to Shafan, who read it. ⁹ Then Shafan the secretary went back to the king and gave the king this report: “Your servants have poured out the money found in the house and handed it over to the people supervising the work in the house of Adonai.” ¹⁰ Shafan the secretary also told the king, “Hilkiyah the cohen hagadol gave me a scroll.” Then Shafan read it aloud before the king. ¹¹ After the king had heard what was written in the scroll of the Torah, he tore his clothes. ¹² Then the king issued this order to Hilkiyah the cohen, Achikam the son of Shafan, ‘Akhbor the son of Mikhayah, Shafan the secretary and ‘Asayah the king’s servant: ¹³ “Go; and consult Adonai for me, for the people and for all Y’hudah in regard to what is written in this scroll which has been found. For Adonai must be furious at us, since our ancestors did not listen to the words written in this scroll and didn’t do everything written there that concerns us.” ¹⁴ So Hilkiyahu the cohen, Achikam, Akhbor, Shafan and ‘Asayah went to Huldah the prophet, the wife of Shalum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harchas, keeper of the wardrobe — she lived in the Second Quarter of Yerushalayim — and spoke with her. ¹⁵ She told them, “Adonai the God of Isra’el says to tell the man who sent you to me ¹⁶ that Adonai says this: ‘I am going to bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants, every word in the scroll the king of Y’hudah has read; ¹⁷ because they have abandoned me and offered to other gods, in order to provoke me with everything they do. Therefore my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ ¹⁸ But you are to tell the king of Y’hudah, who sent you to consult Adonai, that Adonai the God of Isra’el also says this: ‘In regard to the words you have heard, ¹⁹ because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before Adonai when you heard what I said against this place and its inhabitants — that they would become an object of astonishment and cursing — and have torn your clothes and cried before me, I have also heard you, says Adonai. ²⁰ Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, you will go to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the calamity I am going to bring on this place.’” So they brought word back to the king.