2 Chronicles 33
International Standard Version
Manasseh Succeeds Hezekiah(A)
33 Manasseh began to reign at the age of twelve years, and continued to reign for 55 years in Jerusalem. 2 But he practiced what the Lord considered to be evil by behaving detestably, as did the nations whom the Lord expelled in front of the Israelis.
The Sins of Manasseh
3 He re-established the high places that his father Hezekiah had demolished, he built altars to the Baals, erected Asherim, and worshipped and served the armies[a] of heaven. 4 He also built altars in the Lord’s Temple, about which the Lord had spoken “My name will reside in Jerusalem forever.”[b] 5 He built altars for all the armies[c] of heaven in the two courtyards of the Lord’s Temple.[d] 6 He burned his sons[e] as an offering in the Ben-hinnom Valley, practiced fortune-telling, witchcraft, sorcery, and communicated with mediums and spiritualists. He did a lot of things that the Lord considered to be evil, thus provoking him. 7 He also placed an image that he had carved in God’s Temple, the place about which God had told to David and to his son Solomon, “I will place my name in this Temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel,”[f] 8 and “I won’t let Israel’s foothold slip on the land that I’ve given to your ancestors, if only they will be careful to keep everything that I commanded them in the Law, in the statutes, and in the ordinance through Moses.”[g] 9 This is how Manasseh deceived Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to practice more evil than the nations whom the Lord had eliminated in front of the Israelis.
Manasseh Repents and is Restored
10 The Lord kept on speaking to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention to him, 11 so the Lord brought in the army commanders who worked for the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him in bronze chains, and took him off to Babylon. 12 But when he was in trouble, he sought the face of the Lord his God, humbled himself magnificently before the God of his ancestors, 13 and prayed to him. Moved by Manasseh’s[h] entreaties, the Lord heard his supplications and brought him back to his kingdom in Jerusalem. That’s how Manasseh learned that the Lord is God.
14 Later on, Manasseh[i] reinforced the outer wall to the City of David on the west side overlooking the Gihon Valley as far as the Fish Gate. He encircled the Ophel,[j] raising it to a great height. 15 He also eliminated the foreign gods and idols from the Lord’s Temple, along with all of the altars that he had built in Jerusalem and on the mountain where the Lord’s Temple was located, and he discarded them outside the city. 16 He set up an altar to the Lord, sacrificed peace offerings on it, and ordered Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. 17 Even so, the people continued to sacrifice in the high places, but only to the Lord their God.
The Death of Manasseh(B)
18 Now as to the rest of Manasseh’s accomplishments, including his prayer to God and what the seers had to say to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, they are included among the Acts of the Kings of Israel. 19 His prayer, how God was moved by him, all of his sin and unfaithfulness, and a record of the sites where he constructed high places, erected Asherim and carved images before he humbled himself are written in the Acts of the Seers.[k] 20 So Manasseh died, as had his ancestors, and they buried him in his own palace while his son Amon became king in his place.
Amon’s Reign and Death(C)
21 Amon was 22 years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. 22 He practiced what the Lord considered to be evil, just as his father Manasseh had done, sacrificing to and serving all the carved images that his father Manasseh had made, 23 except that he never humbled himself to the Lord like his father Manasseh had done. In fact, Amon multiplied his own guilt 24 until his servants finally conspired against him and executed him in his own palace. 25 But the people of the land executed all of the conspirators against King Amon and installed his son Josiah as king to succeed him.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 33:3 Or stars
- 2 Chronicles 33:4 Cf. 2Sam 7:13; 2Chr 7:16
- 2 Chronicles 33:5 Or stars
- 2 Chronicles 33:5 I.e. the court of the priests and the great court; cf. 2Chr 4:9
- 2 Chronicles 33:6 Lit. He passed his sons through fire
- 2 Chronicles 33:7 Cf. 1King 9:3-5; 2Chr 7:16; 33:4
- 2 Chronicles 33:8 Cf. 2Sam 7:10
- 2 Chronicles 33:13 Lit. his
- 2 Chronicles 33:14 Lit. he
- 2 Chronicles 33:14 I.e. a ridge of hills in Jerusalem fortified for defense of the city; cf. 2 Chr 27:3
- 2 Chronicles 33:19 Or the Record Keepers
2 Chronicles 33
Lexham English Bible
The Reign of Manasseh
33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did evil in the eyes of Yahweh according to the detestable things of the nations whom Yahweh drove out before the Israelites.[a] 3 And he rebuilt[b] the high places that Hezekiah his father broke down, and he set up altars for the Baals, made Asherahs, and bowed down to the host of heaven and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of Yahweh, of which Yahweh had said, “In Jerusalem my name shall be forever.” 5 And he built altars to all the host of heaven in the two courtyards of the house of Yahweh. 6 And he himself burned his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom. And he practiced sorcery and divination, and he engaged in witchcraft and dealt with mediums and spiritists. And he did much evil in the eyes of Yahweh, to provoke him to anger. 7 And he placed the carved image of the idol that 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 from all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever. 8 And I will never[c] remove the foot of Israel from upon the land that I appointed to your ancestors,[d] if only you will take care to do all that I have commanded them, all the law, the regulations, and the judgments by the hand of Moses.” 9 And Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do evil more than the nations that Yahweh destroyed before the Israelites.[e]
Manasseh’s Repentance
10 And Yahweh spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they would not listen. 11 So Yahweh brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria upon them, and they took Manasseh captive with hooks, and they bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon. 12 And when he was in distress he entreated Yahweh his God and greatly humbled himself before the God of his ancestors[f] 13 and prayed to him. And God responded to him and heard his plea and let him return to Jerusalem to his kingdom. And Manasseh knew that Yahweh was God.
14 Then afterward he built an outer wall for the city of David west of the Gihon in the valley, and for the entrance into the Gate of the Fishes. And it encircled the Ophel and raised it very high. Then he placed strong commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah. 15 And he removed the foreign gods and the carved image from the house of Yahweh and all the altars which he built on the mountain of the house of Yahweh and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city. 16 And he restored the altar of Yahweh and offered sacrifices of peace offerings and thank offerings upon it. And he commanded Judah to serve Yahweh, the God of Israel. 17 Nevertheless, the people offered at the high places, but only to Yahweh their God.
18 Now the remainder of the words 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 in the words of the kings of Israel. 19 And his prayer, and how he[g] responded to him, all his sin and his unfaithful acts, and the places where he built the high places and set up Asherahs and idols before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the words of the seers.
Amon’s Reign
20 And Manasseh slept with his ancestors,[h] and they buried him in his house. And Amon his son became king in his place. 21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. 22 And he did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh as Manasseh his father had done. And Amon sacrificed to all the idols that Manasseh his father had made, and he served them. 23 And he did not humble himself before Yahweh, as Manasseh his father humbled himself, but Amon himself multiplied his guilt. 24 And his servants conspired against him and killed him in his house. 25 But the people of the land struck down all who conspired against King Amon. And the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 33:2 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- 2 Chronicles 33:3 Literally “returned and built”
- 2 Chronicles 33:8 Literally “not continue to”
- 2 Chronicles 33:8 Or “fathers”
- 2 Chronicles 33:9 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- 2 Chronicles 33:12 Or “fathers”
- 2 Chronicles 33:19 That is, God
- 2 Chronicles 33:20 Or “fathers”
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