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Manasseh Reigns over Judah

33 (A)Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. (B)And he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, according to the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh dispossessed before the sons of Israel. Indeed, (C)he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had torn down; and (D)he erected altars for the Baals and made [a]Asherim, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. (E)And he built altars in the house of Yahweh, of which Yahweh had said, “(F)In Jerusalem My name shall be forever.” Indeed, he built altars for all the host of heaven in (G)the two courts of the house of Yahweh. (H)He even made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced soothsaying, interpreted omens, practiced sorcery, and (I)dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much that was evil in the sight of Yahweh, provoking Him to anger. Then he put (J)the graven image of the [b]idol, which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, “(K)In 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 (L)which I have set up for your fathers, if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them according to all the law, the statutes and the judgments given by the hand of Moses.” Thus Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray in order to do more evil than the nations whom Yahweh destroyed before the sons of Israel.

Manasseh Removes Foreign Idols

10 Then Yahweh spoke to Manasseh and his people, but (M)they paid no attention. 11 (N)Therefore Yahweh brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with [c]hooks, (O)bound him with bronze chains, and took him to Babylon. 12 And when (P)he was in distress, he entreated Yahweh his God and (Q)humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 Then he prayed to Him, and (R)He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and returned him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh (S)knew that Yahweh was God.

14 Afterwards, he built the outer wall of the city of David on the west side of (T)Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance of the (U)Fish Gate; and he encircled the (V)Ophel with it and made it very high. Then he put military commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah. 15 He also (W)removed the foreign gods and the [d]idol from the house of Yahweh, as well as all the altars which he had built on the mountain of the house of Yahweh and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city. 16 And he set up the altar of Yahweh and sacrificed (X)peace offerings and thank offerings on it; and he said for Judah to serve Yahweh, the God of Israel. 17 Nevertheless (Y)the people still sacrificed in the high places, although only to Yahweh their God.

18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, even (Z)his prayer to his God, and the words of (AA)the seers who spoke to him in the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, behold, they are among the chronicles of the kings of (AB)Israel. 19 His prayer also and (AC)how God was entreated by him, and all his sin, his unfaithfulness, and (AD)the sites on which he built high places and erected the [e]Asherim and the graven images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the chronicles of the [f]Hozai. 20 And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. And Amon his son became king in his place.

Amon Reigns over Judah

21 (AE)Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. 22 And he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, as Manasseh his father (AF)had done, and Amon sacrificed to all (AG)the graven images which his father Manasseh had made, and he served them. 23 Moreover, he did not humble himself before Yahweh (AH)as his father Manasseh had humbled himself, but Amon multiplied guilt. 24 Then (AI)his servants conspired against him and put him to death in his own house. 25 Then the people of the land struck down all those who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 33:3 Wooden symbols of a female deity
  2. 2 Chronicles 33:7 Or figure
  3. 2 Chronicles 33:11 Hooks put through the nose, cf. 2 Kin 19:28
  4. 2 Chronicles 33:15 Or figure
  5. 2 Chronicles 33:19 Wooden symbols of a female deity
  6. 2 Chronicles 33:19 Gr seers

The Reign of Manasseh

33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 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] 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. And he built altars in the house of Yahweh, of which Yahweh had said, “In Jerusalem my name shall be forever.” And he built altars to all the host of heaven in the two courtyards of the house of Yahweh. 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. 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. 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.” 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

  1. 2 Chronicles 33:2 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  2. 2 Chronicles 33:3 Literally “returned and built”
  3. 2 Chronicles 33:8 Literally “not continue to”
  4. 2 Chronicles 33:8 Or “fathers”
  5. 2 Chronicles 33:9 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  6. 2 Chronicles 33:12 Or “fathers”
  7. 2 Chronicles 33:19 That is, God
  8. 2 Chronicles 33:20 Or “fathers”