2 Kings 21
Lexham English Bible
Evil Manasseh Reigns after Godly Hezekiah
21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Hephzibah. 2 He did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, according to the detestable things of the nations that Yahweh had driven out from the presence of the Israelites.[a] 3 He returned and rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed. He erected altars for Baal and made a pole of Asherah worship just as Ahab king of Israel had made, and he bowed down to all of the host of heaven and served them. 4 He built altars in the temple of Yahweh about which Yahweh had said, “I will put my name in Jerusalem.” 5 He built an altar to all of the host of heaven in the two courtyards of the temple of Yahweh. 6 He made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying and divination, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He increased the doing of evil in the eyes of Yahweh to provoke him. 7 He put the image of the Asherah that he had made in the temple which Yahweh had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this temple and in Jerusalem which I have chosen from all of the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever. 8 I will not again make the feet of Israel wander from the land which I have given to their ancestors,[b] if they only observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, as far as the law that Moses my servant commanded them.” 9 But Manasseh did not listen and tempted them to do evil more than the nations that Yahweh destroyed before the presence of the Israelites.[c]
Yahweh Sends a Rebuke to Manasseh
10 So Yahweh spoke by the hand of his servants the prophets, saying, 11 “Because Manasseh the king of Judah committed these detestable things and did evil more than the Amorites did who were before him and caused even Judah to sin with his idols, 12 therefore, thus says Yahweh the God of Israel, ‘Look, I am bringing disaster upon Jerusalem and Judah about which the two ears of all who hear it will tingle. 13 I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria and the plumb line of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes the dish; he wipes it and turns it on its face. 14 I will give up the remainder of my inheritance, and I will give them into the hand of their enemies. They shall become as prey and as spoil for all their enemies, 15 because they have done evil in my eyes and were provoking me from the day that their ancestors[d] came out from Egypt up to this day.’”
16 Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he filled Jerusalem from one end to another,[e] apart from his sin which he caused Judah to sin by doing evil in the eyes of Yahweh. 17 The remainder of the acts of Manasseh and all that he did and his sin that he committed, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah? 18 Then Manasseh slept with his ancestors[f] and was buried in the garden of his palace, in the garden of Uzza. Amon his son became king in his place.
Amon Reigns in Judah Only Two Years
19 Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz from Jotbah. 20 He did evil in the eyes of Yahweh as Manasseh his father had done. 21 He walked in all of the way which his father had walked, and he served the idols which his father had served and bowed down to them. 22 He abandoned Yahweh the God of his ancestors[g] and did not walk in the way of Yahweh. 23 The servants of Amon conspired against him and killed the king in his palace. 24 But the people of the land killed all who conspired against the king and made Josiah his son king in his place. 25 The remainder of the acts of Amon that he did, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah? 26 They buried him in his tomb in the garden of Uzza, and Josiah his son became king in place of him.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 21:2 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- 2 Kings 21:8 Or “fathers”
- 2 Kings 21:9 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- 2 Kings 21:15 Or “fathers”
- 2 Kings 21:16 Literally “end to end”
- 2 Kings 21:18 Or “fathers”
- 2 Kings 21:22 Or “fathers”
2 Kings 21
English Standard Version
Manasseh Reigns in Judah
21 (A)Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, (B)according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places (C)that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made (D)an Asherah, (E)as Ahab king of Israel had done, (F)and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 (G)And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, (H)“In Jerusalem will I put my name.” 5 And he built altars (I)for all the host of heaven in (J)the two courts of the house of the Lord. 6 (K)And he burned his son as an offering[a] and (L)used fortune-telling and (M)omens and dealt (N)with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 7 And the carved image of (O)Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the Lord said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, (P)and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever. 8 (Q)And I will not cause the feet of Israel to wander anymore out of the land that I gave to their fathers, if only they will be careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the Law that my servant Moses commanded them.” 9 But they did not listen, and Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel.
Manasseh's Idolatry Denounced
10 And the Lord said by his servants the prophets, 11 (R)“Because Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations and has done things (S)more evil than all that the Amorites did, who were before him, (T)and has made Judah also to sin (U)with his idols, 12 therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster[b] that the ears of everyone who hears of it (V)will tingle. 13 (W)And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria, and the plumb line of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 And I will forsake the remnant of my heritage and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies, 15 because they have done what is evil in my sight and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.”
16 (X)Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin (Y)that he made Judah to sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.
17 (Z)Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh and all that he did, and the sin that he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 18 (AA)And Manasseh slept with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his house, (AB)in the garden of Uzza, and Amon his son reigned in his place.
Amon Reigns in Judah
19 Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. 20 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, (AC)as Manasseh his father had done. 21 He walked in all the way in which his father walked and served (AD)the idols that his father served and worshiped them. 22 (AE)He abandoned the Lord, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the Lord. 23 And the servants of Amon conspired against him and put the king to death in his house. 24 But 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. 25 Now the rest of the acts of Amon that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 26 And he was buried in his tomb (AF)in the garden of Uzza, and Josiah his son reigned in his place.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 21:6 Hebrew made his son pass through the fire
- 2 Kings 21:12 Or evil
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