Manasseh’s Reign over Judah

21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother^[a] was Hephzibah. ² He did evil in the sight of^[b] the Lord and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations^[c] whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites. ³ He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole just as King Ahab of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky^[d] and worshiped^[e] them. ⁴ He built altars in the Lord’s temple, about which the Lord had said, “Jerusalem will be my home.”^{[f] 5} In the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple he built altars for all the stars in the sky. ⁶ He passed his son^[g] through the fire^[h] and practiced divination and omen reading. He set up a ritual pit to conjure up underworld spirits and appointed magicians to supervise it.^[i] He did a great amount of evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.^{[j] 7} He put an idol of Asherah he had made in the temple, about which the Lord had said to David and to his son Solomon, “This temple in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will be my permanent home.^{[k] 8} I will not make Israel again leave the land I gave to their ancestors,^[l] provided that they carefully obey all I commanded them, the whole law my servant Moses ordered them to obey.” ⁹ But they did not obey,^[m] and Manasseh misled them so that they sinned more than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed from before the Israelites.

¹⁰ So the Lord announced through^[n] his servants the prophets: ¹¹ “King Manasseh of Judah has committed horrible sins.^[o] He has sinned more than the Amorites before him and has encouraged Judah to sin by worshiping his disgusting idols.^{[p] 12} So this is what the Lord God of Israel has said, ‘I am about to bring disaster on Jerusalem and Judah. The news will reverberate in the ears of those who hear about it.^{[q] 13} I will destroy Jerusalem the same way I did Samaria and the dynasty of Ahab.^[r] I will wipe Jerusalem clean, just as one wipes a plate on both sides.^{[s] 14} I will abandon this last remaining tribe among my people^[t] and hand them over to their enemies; they will be plundered and robbed by all their enemies,^{[u] 15} because they have done evil in my sight^[v] and have angered me from the time their ancestors left Egypt right up to this very day!’”

¹⁶ Furthermore Manasseh killed so many innocent people, he stained Jerusalem with their blood from end to end,^[w] in addition to encouraging Judah to sin by doing evil in the sight of the Lord.^[x]

¹⁷ The rest of the events of Manasseh’s reign and all his accomplishments, as well as the sinful acts he committed, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah.^{[y] 18} Manasseh passed away^[z] and was buried in his palace garden, the garden of Uzzah, and his son Amon replaced him as king.

Amon’s Reign over Judah

¹⁹ Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for two years in Jerusalem. His mother^[aa] was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz, from Jotbah. ²⁰ He did evil in the sight of^[ab] the Lord, just as his father Manasseh had done. ²¹ He followed in the footsteps of his father^[ac] and worshiped and bowed down to the disgusting idols^[ad] that his father had worshiped.^{[ae] 22} He abandoned the Lord, God of his ancestors, and did not follow the Lord’s instructions.^{[af] 23} Amon’s servants conspired against him and killed the king in his palace. ²⁴ The people of the land executed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and they^[ag] made his son Josiah king in his place.

²⁵ The rest of Amon’s accomplishments are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah.^{[ah] 26} He was buried^[ai] in his tomb in the garden of Uzzah, and his son Josiah replaced him as king.

The Fall of Jerusalem

11 A wind^[a] lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the Lord’s temple that faces the east. There, at the entrance of the gate, I noticed twenty-five men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, officials of the people.^{[b] 2} The Lord^[c] said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who plot evil and give wicked advice in this city. ³ They say,^[d] ‘The time is not near to build houses;^[e] the city^[f] is a cooking pot,^[g] and we are the meat in it.’ ⁴ Therefore, prophesy against them! Prophesy, son of man!”

⁵ Then the Spirit of the Lord came^[h] upon me and said to me, “Say: ‘This is what the Lord says: This is what you are thinking,^[i] O house of Israel; I know what goes through your minds.^{[j] 6} You have killed many people in this city; you have filled its streets with corpses.’ ⁷ Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘The corpses you have dumped^[k] in the midst of the city^[l] are the meat, and this city^[m] is the cooking pot, but I will take you out of it.^{[n] 8} You fear the sword, so the sword I will bring against you,’ declares the Sovereign Lord. ⁹ ‘But I will take you out of the city.^[o] And I will hand you over to foreigners. I will execute judgments on you. ¹⁰ You will die by the sword; I will judge you at the border of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. ¹¹ This city will not be a cooking pot for you, and you will not^[p] be meat within it; I will judge you at the border of Israel. ¹² Then you will know that I am the Lord, whose statutes you have not followed and whose regulations you have not carried out. Instead you have behaved according to the regulations of the nations around you!’”

¹³ Now, while I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I threw myself face down and cried out with a loud voice, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! You are completely wiping out the remnant of Israel!”^[q]

¹⁴ Then the Lord’s message came to me: ¹⁵ “Son of man, your brothers,^[r] your relatives,^[s] and the whole house of Israel, all of them are those to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘They have gone far away^[t] from the Lord; to us this land has been given as a possession.’

¹⁶ “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I have removed them far away among the nations and have dispersed them among the countries, I have been a little^[u] sanctuary for them among the lands where they have gone.’

¹⁷ “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I regather you from the peoples and assemble you from the lands where you have been dispersed, I will give you back the country of Israel.’

¹⁸ “When they return to it, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. ¹⁹ I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within them;^[v] I will remove the hearts of stone from their bodies^[w] and I will give them tender hearts,^{[x] 20} so that they may follow my statutes and observe my regulations and carry them out. Then they will be my people, and I will be their God.^{[y] 21} But those whose hearts are devoted to detestable things and abominations, I hereby repay them for what they have done,^[z] says the Sovereign Lord.”

²² Then the cherubim spread^[aa] their wings with their wheels alongside them while the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them. ²³ The glory of the Lord rose up from within the city and stopped^[ab] over the mountain east of it. ²⁴ Then a wind^[ac] lifted me up and carried me to the exiles in Babylonia,^[ad] in the vision given to me by the Spirit of God.

Then the vision I had seen went up from me. ²⁵ So I told the exiles everything^[ae] the Lord had shown me.

Healing the Centurion’s Slave

7 After Jesus^[a] had finished teaching all this to the people,^[b] he entered Capernaum.^{[c] 2} A centurion^[d] there^[e] had a slave^[f] who was highly regarded,^[g] but who was sick and at the point of death. ³ When the centurion^[h] heard^[i] about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders^[j] to him, asking him to come^[k] and heal his slave. ⁴ When^[l] they came^[m] to Jesus, they urged^[n] him earnestly,^[o] “He is worthy^[p] to have you do this for him, ⁵ because he loves our nation,^[q] and even^[r] built our synagogue.”^{[s] 6} So^[t] Jesus went with them. When^[u] he was not far from the house, the centurion^[v] sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself,^[w] for I am not worthy^[x] to have you come under my roof! ⁷ That is why^[y] I did not presume^[z] to come to you. Instead, say the word, and my servant must be healed.^{[aa] 8} For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me.^[ab] I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes,^[ac] and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”^{[ad] 9} When Jesus heard this, he was amazed^[ae] at him. He turned and said to the crowd that followed him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith!”^{[af] 10} So^[ag] when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave^[ah] well.

Raising a Widow’s Son

¹¹ Soon^[ai] afterward^[aj] Jesus^[ak] went to a town^[al] called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. ¹² As he approached the town gate, a man^[am] who had died was being carried out,^[an] the only son of his mother (who^[ao] was a widow^[ap]), and a large crowd from the town^[aq] was with her. ¹³ When^[ar] the Lord saw her, he had compassion^[as] for her and said to her, “Do not weep.”^{[at] 14} Then^[au] he came up^[av] and touched^[aw] the bier,^[ax] and those who carried it stood still. He^[ay] said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” ¹⁵ So^[az] the dead man^[ba] sat up and began to speak, and Jesus^[bb] gave him back^[bc] to his mother. ¹⁶ Fear^[bd] seized them all, and they began to glorify^[be] God, saying, “A great prophet^[bf] has appeared^[bg] among us!” and “God has come to help^[bh] his people!” ¹⁷ This^[bi] report^[bj] about Jesus^[bk] circulated^[bl] throughout^[bm] Judea and all the surrounding country.

Jesus and John the Baptist

¹⁸ John’s^[bn] disciples informed him about all these things. So^[bo] John called^[bp] two of his disciples ¹⁹ and sent them to Jesus^[bq] to ask,^[br] “Are you the one who is to come,^[bs] or should we look for another?” ²⁰ When^[bt] the men came to Jesus,^[bu] they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask,^[bv] ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’”^{[bw] 21} At that very time^[bx] Jesus^[by] cured many people of diseases, sicknesses,^[bz] and evil spirits, and granted^[ca] sight to many who were blind. ²² So^[cb] he answered them,^[cc] “Go tell^[cd] John what you have seen and heard:^[ce] The blind see, the lame walk, lepers^[cf] are cleansed, the^[cg] deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news proclaimed to them. ²³ Blessed is anyone^[ch] who takes no offense at me.”

²⁴ When^[ci] John’s messengers had gone, Jesus^[cj] began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness^[ck] to see? A reed shaken by the wind?^{[cl] 25} What^[cm] did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing?^[cn] Look, those who wear soft clothing and live in luxury^[co] are in the royal palaces!^{[cp] 26} What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more^[cq] than a prophet. ²⁷ This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,^[cr] who will prepare your way before you.’^{[cs] 28} I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater^[ct] than John.^[cu] Yet the one who is least^[cv] in the kingdom of God^[cw] is greater than he is.” ²⁹ (Now^[cx] all the people who heard this, even the tax collectors,^[cy] acknowledged^[cz] God’s justice, because they had been baptized^[da] with John’s baptism. ³⁰ However, the Pharisees^[db] and the experts in religious law^[dc] rejected God’s purpose^[dd] for themselves, because they had not been baptized^[de] by John.^[df])^[dg]

³¹ “To what then should I compare the people^[dh] of this generation, and what are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace^[di] and calling out to one another,^[dj]

³³ For John the Baptist has come^[dm] eating no bread and drinking no wine,^[dn] and you say, ‘He has a demon!’^{[do] 34} The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him,^[dp] a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’^{[dq] 35} But wisdom is vindicated^[dr] by all her children.”^[ds]

Jesus’ Anointing

³⁶ Now one of the Pharisees^[dt] asked Jesus^[du] to have dinner with him, so^[dv] he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table.^{[dw] 37} Then^[dx] when a woman of that town, who was a sinner, learned that Jesus^[dy] was dining^[dz] at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar^[ea] of perfumed oil.^{[eb] 38} As^[ec] she stood^[ed] behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. She^[ee] wiped them with her hair,^[ef] kissed^[eg] them,^[eh] and anointed^[ei] them with the perfumed oil. ³⁹ Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this,^[ej] he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet,^[ek] he would know who and what kind of woman^[el] this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” ⁴⁰ So^[em] Jesus answered him,^[en] “Simon, I have something to say to you.” He replied,^[eo] “Say it, Teacher.” ⁴¹ “A certain creditor^[ep] had two debtors; one owed him^[eq] 500 silver coins,^[er] and the other fifty. ⁴² When they could not pay, he canceled^[es] the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” ⁴³ Simon answered,^[et] “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”^[eu] Jesus^[ev] said to him, “You have judged rightly.” ⁴⁴ Then,^[ew] turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house. You gave me no water for my feet,^[ex] but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You gave me no kiss of greeting,^[ey] but from the time I entered she has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet^[ez] with perfumed oil. ⁴⁷ Therefore I tell you, her sins, which were many, are forgiven, thus she loved much;^[fa] but the one who is forgiven little loves little.” ⁴⁸ Then^[fb] Jesus^[fc] said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”^{[fd] 49} But^[fe] those who were at the table^[ff] with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” ⁵⁰ He^[fg] said to the woman, “Your faith^[fh] has saved you;^[fi] go in peace.”