2 Chronicles 33
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Reign of Manasseh
33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.(A) 2 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominable practices of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the people of Israel.(B) 3 For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had pulled down and erected altars to the Baals, made sacred poles,[a] worshiped all the host of heaven, and served them.(C) 4 He built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem shall my name be forever.”(D) 5 He built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord.(E) 6 He made his son pass through fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom, practiced soothsaying and augury and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with wizards. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.(F) 7 The carved image of the idol that he had made he set in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever;(G) 8 I will never again remove the feet of Israel from the land that I appointed for your ancestors, if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them, all the law, the statutes, and the ordinances given through Moses.”(H) 9 Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the people of Israel.
Manasseh Restored after Repentance
10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they gave no heed. 11 Therefore the Lord brought against them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh captive in manacles, bound him with fetters, and brought him to Babylon.(I) 12 While he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors.(J) 13 He prayed to him, and God received his entreaty, heard his plea, and restored him again to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord indeed was God.(K)
14 Afterward he built an outer wall for the city of David west of Gihon, in the valley, reaching the entrance at the Fish Gate; he carried it around Ophel and raised it to a very great height. He also put commanders of the army in all the fortified cities in Judah.(L) 15 He took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord and all the altars that he had built on the mountain of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem, and he threw them out of the city.(M) 16 He also restored the altar of the Lord and offered on it sacrifices of well-being and of thanksgiving, and he commanded Judah to serve the Lord the God of Israel. 17 The people, however, still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.(N)
Death of Manasseh
18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, these are in the Annals of the Kings of Israel.(O) 19 His prayer, and how God received his entreaty, all his sin and his faithlessness, the sites on which he built high places and set up the sacred poles[b] and the images, before he humbled himself, these are written in the records of the seers.[c](P) 20 So Manasseh slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in his house. His son Amon succeeded him.(Q)
Amon’s Reign and Death
21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; he reigned two years in Jerusalem.(R) 22 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. Amon sacrificed to all the images that his father Manasseh had made and served them.(S) 23 He did not humble himself before the Lord, as his father Manasseh had humbled himself, but this Amon incurred more and more guilt.(T) 24 His servants conspired against him and killed him in his house.(U) 25 But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made his son Josiah king to succeed him.
2 Chronicles 33
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Judah’s King Manasseh
33 Manasseh was 12 years old(A) when he became king and reigned 55 years in Jerusalem. 2 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, imitating the detestable practices of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites.(B) 3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down(C) and reestablished the altars for the Baals. He made Asherah poles, and he worshiped the whole heavenly host and served them. 4 He built altars(D) in the Lord’s temple, where Yahweh had said, “Jerusalem is where My name will remain forever.”(E) 5 He built altars to the whole heavenly host in both courtyards(F) of the Lord’s temple. 6 He passed his sons through the fire in the Valley of Hinnom.(G) He practiced witchcraft, divination, and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists.(H) He did a great deal of evil in the Lord’s sight, provoking Him.
7 Manasseh(I) set up a carved image of the idol he had made, in God’s temple,(J) about which God had said to David and his son Solomon, “I will establish My name forever[a](K) in this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.(L) 8 I will never again remove the feet of the Israelites from the land where I stationed your[b](M) ancestors,(N) if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them through Moses—all the law, statutes, and judgments.” 9 So Manasseh caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to stray so that they did worse evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.
Manasseh’s Repentance
10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they didn’t listen.(O) 11 So He brought against them the military commanders of the king of Assyria. They captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.(P) 12 When he was in distress, he sought the favor of Yahweh his God and earnestly humbled himself(Q) before the God of his ancestors. 13 He prayed to Him, so He heard his petition and granted his request,(R) and brought him back to Jerusalem, to his kingdom. So Manasseh came to know that Yahweh is God.(S)
14 After this, he built the outer wall of the city of David from west of Gihon(T) in the valley to the entrance of the Fish Gate;(U) he brought it around the Ophel,(V) and he heightened it considerably. He also placed military commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah.
15 He removed the foreign gods and the idol(W) from the Lord’s temple, along with all the altars that he had built on the mountain of the Lord’s temple and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city. 16 He built[c] the altar of the Lord and offered fellowship and thank offerings on it. Then he told Judah to serve Yahweh, the God of Israel. 17 However, the people still sacrificed at the high places,(X) but only to Yahweh their God.
Manasseh’s Death
18 The rest of the events(Y) of Manasseh’s reign, along with his prayer(Z) to his God and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, are written in the Records of Israel’s Kings. 19 His prayer and how God granted his request, and all his sin and unfaithfulness and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and carved images before he humbled himself, they are written in the Records of Hozai. 20 Manasseh rested with his fathers, and he was buried in his own house. His son Amon became king in his place.
Judah’s King Amon
21 Amon was 22 years old when he became king and reigned two years in Jerusalem. 22 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight just as his father Manasseh had done.(AA) Amon sacrificed to all the carved images that his father Manasseh had made, and he served them. 23 But he did not humble himself before the Lord like his father Manasseh humbled himself;(AB) instead, Amon increased his guilt.
24 So his servants conspired against him and put him to death(AC) in his own house. 25 Then the common people[d] executed all those who conspired against King Amon and made his son Josiah king in his place.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 33:7 LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg; 2Kg 21:7; MT reads name for Elom
- 2 Chronicles 33:8 LXX, Syr, Vg read land I gave to their; 2Kg 21:8
- 2 Chronicles 33:16 Some Hb mss, Syr, Tg, Arabic; other Hb mss, LXX, Vg read restored
- 2 Chronicles 33:25 Lit the people of the land
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