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玛拿西做王行耶和华所恶

33 玛拿西登基的时候年十二岁,在耶路撒冷做王五十五年。 他行耶和华眼中看为恶的事,效法耶和华在以色列人面前赶出的外邦人那可憎的事, 重新建筑他父希西家所拆毁的丘坛,又为巴力筑坛,做木偶,且敬拜侍奉天上的万象, 在耶和华的殿宇中筑坛,耶和华曾指着这殿说:“我的名必永远在耶路撒冷。” 他在耶和华殿的两院中为天上的万象筑坛, 并在欣嫩子谷使他的儿女经火,又观兆,用法术,行邪术,立交鬼的和行巫术的,多行耶和华眼中看为恶的事,惹动他的怒气, 又在神殿内立雕刻的偶像。神曾对大卫和他儿子所罗门说:“我在以色列各支派中所选择的耶路撒冷和这殿,必立我的名直到永远。 以色列人若谨守遵行我借摩西所吩咐他们的一切法度、律例、典章,我就不再使他们挪移,离开我所赐给他们列祖之地。” 玛拿西引诱犹大耶路撒冷的居民,以致他们行恶比耶和华在以色列人面前所灭的列国更甚。

因违逆受罚

10 耶和华警戒玛拿西和他的百姓,他们却是不听。 11 所以耶和华使亚述王的将帅来攻击他们,用铙钩钩住玛拿西,用铜链锁住他,带到巴比伦去。

悔罪祈王

12 他在急难的时候,就恳求耶和华他的神,且在他列祖的神面前极其自卑。 13 他祈祷耶和华,耶和华就允准他的祈求,垂听他的祷告,使他归回耶路撒冷,仍坐国位。玛拿西这才知道唯独耶和华是神。 14 此后,玛拿西大卫城外,从谷内基训西边直到门口,建筑城墙,环绕俄斐勒,这墙筑得甚高;又在犹大各坚固城内设立勇敢的军长。 15 并除掉外邦人的神像与耶和华殿中的偶像,又将他在耶和华殿的山上和耶路撒冷所筑的各坛都拆毁,抛在城外。 16 重修耶和华的祭坛,在坛上献平安祭、感谢祭,吩咐犹大人侍奉耶和华以色列的神。 17 百姓却仍在丘坛上献祭,只献给耶和华他们的神。

玛拿西卒

18 玛拿西其余的事和祷告他神的话,并先见奉耶和华以色列神的名警戒他的言语,都写在《以色列诸王记》上。 19 他的祷告与神怎样应允他,他未自卑以前的罪愆、过犯,并在何处建筑丘坛,设立亚舍拉和雕刻的偶像,都写在何赛的书上。 20 玛拿西与他列祖同睡,葬在自己的宫院里。他儿子亚们接续他做王。

亚们做王

21 亚们登基的时候年二十二岁,在耶路撒冷做王二年。 22 他行耶和华眼中看为恶的事,效法他父玛拿西所行的,祭祀、侍奉他父玛拿西所雕刻的偶像, 23 不在耶和华面前像他父玛拿西自卑。这亚们所犯的罪越犯越大。 24 他的臣仆背叛,在宫里杀了他。 25 但国民杀了那些背叛亚们王的人,立他儿子约西亚接续他做王。

猶大王瑪拿西

33 瑪拿西十二歲登基,在耶路撒冷執政五十五年。 他做耶和華視為惡的事,效法耶和華在以色列人面前趕走的外族人的可憎行徑。 他重建他父親希西迦拆毀的邱壇,為巴力築造祭壇,製造亞舍拉神像,並祭拜和供奉天上的萬象。 耶和華曾指著祂的殿說:「我的名必永遠在耶路撒冷。」他卻在耶和華的殿內建造異教的祭壇。 他在耶和華殿的兩個院子裡建造祭拜天上萬象的祭壇。 他還在欣嫩子谷把自己的兒子燒死,獻作祭物。他行巫術、占卜、觀兆,求問靈媒和巫師。他做了許多耶和華視為惡的事,惹耶和華發怒。 他雕刻偶像,放在上帝的殿中。關於這殿,上帝曾經對大衛和他兒子所羅門說:「我從以色列眾支派中選擇了這殿和耶路撒冷,我的名要在這裡永遠受尊崇。 只要以色列人謹遵我藉著摩西頒給他們的一切法度、律例和典章,我就不再把他們從我賜給他們祖先的土地上趕走。」 瑪拿西誘使猶大人和耶路撒冷的居民作惡,比耶和華在以色列人面前所毀滅的各族更嚴重。

瑪拿西悔改

10 耶和華警告瑪拿西和他的百姓,他們卻不肯聽從。 11 所以,耶和華就差遣亞述王的將領來攻擊他們,他們捉住瑪拿西,用鉤子鉤著他,用銅鏈鎖著他押往巴比倫。 12 在困苦中,瑪拿西祈求他的上帝耶和華的幫助,並且在他祖先的上帝面前極其謙卑。 13 耶和華應允他的禱告,垂聽他的懇求,使他返回耶路撒冷繼續做王。瑪拿西這才明白耶和華是上帝。

14 這事以後,瑪拿西重建大衛城的外牆,從谷中基訓泉的西邊直到魚門口,環繞俄斐勒,築高城牆。他又派將領駐紮猶大各堅城。 15 瑪拿西將偶像和外族人的神像從耶和華的殿中除去,又把他在聖殿山和耶路撒冷築造的一切祭壇全部拆掉,扔在城外。 16 他重建耶和華的祭壇,在上面獻平安祭和感恩祭,又吩咐猶大人事奉以色列的上帝耶和華。 17 然而,眾人仍然在邱壇獻祭,只是獻給他們的上帝耶和華。

瑪拿西逝世

18 瑪拿西其他的事、他向上帝的禱告以及先見奉以色列的上帝耶和華的名對他說的話,都記在以色列的列王史上。 19 他的禱告,上帝的答覆,他在謙卑下來之前的罪惡和不忠,他在哪裡修築邱壇以及設立亞舍拉神像和其他偶像的事,都記在《先知書》[a]上。 20 瑪拿西與祖先同眠後,葬在宮內,他兒子亞們繼位。

亞們做猶大王

21 亞們二十二歲登基,在耶路撒冷執政兩年。 22 亞們效法他父親瑪拿西,做耶和華視為惡的事。他祭拜和供奉他父親瑪拿西製造的一切偶像。 23 可是,亞們沒有像他父親瑪拿西一樣在耶和華面前謙卑下來。相反,他犯的罪日益增加。 24 他的臣僕謀反,在王宮裡殺了他。 25 民眾殺死那些背叛亞們王的人,立他兒子約西亞為王。

Footnotes

  1. 33·19 《先知書》或譯《何賽的書》。

King Manasseh of Judah

(2 Kings 21.1-9,17,18)

33 Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled 55 years from Jerusalem. (A) Manasseh disobeyed the Lord by following the disgusting customs of the nations that the Lord had forced out of Israel. He rebuilt the local shrines[a] that his father Hezekiah had torn down. He built altars for the god Baal and set up sacred poles[b] for worshiping the goddess Asherah. And he continued to worship the stars.

In the temple, where only the Lord was supposed to be worshiped, Manasseh built altars for the worship of pagan gods and the stars. He placed these altars in both courtyards of the temple 6-7 (B) and even set up a stone image of a foreign god. Manasseh practiced magic and witchcraft; he asked fortunetellers for advice and sacrificed his own sons in Hinnom Valley. He did many other sinful things and made the Lord very angry.

Years ago, God had told David and Solomon:

Jerusalem is the place I prefer above all others in Israel. It belongs to me, and there in the temple I will be worshiped forever. If my people will faithfully obey all the laws and teaching I gave to my servant Moses, I will never again force them to leave the land I gave to their ancestors.

But the people of Judah and Jerusalem listened to Manasseh and did even more sinful things than the nations the Lord had wiped out.

10 The Lord tried to warn Manasseh and the people about their sins, but they ignored the warning. 11 So he let Assyrian army commanders invade Judah and capture Manasseh. They put a hook in his nose and tied him up in chains, and they took him to Babylon. 12 While Manasseh was held captive there, he asked the Lord God to forgive him and to help him. 13 The Lord listened to Manasseh's prayer and saw how sorry he was, and so he let him go back to Jerusalem and rule as king. Manasseh knew from then on that the Lord was God.

14 Later, Manasseh rebuilt the eastern section of Jerusalem's outer wall and made it taller. This section went from Gihon Valley north to Fish Gate and around the part of the city called Mount Ophel. He also assigned army officers to each of the fortified cities in Judah.[c]

15 Manasseh also removed the idols and the stone image of the foreign god from the temple, and he gathered the altars he had built near the temple and in other parts of Jerusalem. He threw all these things outside the city. 16 Then he repaired the Lord's altar and offered sacrifices to thank him and sacrifices to ask his blessing.[d] He gave orders that everyone in Judah must worship the Lord God of Israel. 17 The people obeyed Manasseh, but they worshiped the Lord at their own shrines.

18 Everything else Manasseh did while he was king, including his prayer to the Lord God and the warnings from his prophets, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. 19 Hozai[e] wrote a lot about Manasseh, including his prayer and God's answer. But Hozai also recorded the evil things Manasseh did before turning back to God, as well as a list of places where Manasseh set up idols, and where he built local shrines and places to worship Asherah. 20 Manasseh died and was buried near the palace, and his son Amon became king.

King Amon of Judah

(2 Kings 21.19-26)

21 Amon was 22 years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled from Jerusalem for 2 years. 22 Amon disobeyed the Lord, just as his father Manasseh had done, and he worshiped and offered sacrifices to the idols his father had made. 23 Manasseh had turned back to the Lord, but Amon refused to do that. Instead, he sinned even more than his father.

24 Some of Amon's officials plotted against him and killed him in his palace. 25 But the people of Judah killed the murderers of Amon and made his son Josiah king.

Footnotes

  1. 33.3 local shrines: See the note at 11.15.
  2. 33.3 sacred poles: See the note at 14.3.
  3. 33.14 fortified cities in Judah: At this time, Judah was under the control of Assyria. The fortifications mentioned in this verse may have been done under orders from Assyrian officials, hoping to strengthen their southern border against the rising power of Egypt.
  4. 33.16 sacrifices to ask his blessing: See the note at 29.33.
  5. 33.19 Hozai: Or “The prophets.”

33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem:

But did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.

For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.

Also he built altars in the house of the Lord, whereof the Lord had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever.

And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord.

And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.

And he set a carved 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 before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

Neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers; so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.

So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.

10 And the Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.

11 Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

12 And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,

13 And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God.

14 Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.

15 And 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.

16 And he repaired the altar of the Lord, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel.

17 Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the Lord their God only.

18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers that spake to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel.

19 His prayer also, and how God was intreated of him, and all his sins, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves and graven images, before he was humbled: behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers.

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

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

22 But he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them;

23 And humbled not himself before the Lord, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.

24 And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.

25 But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.