2 Kings 21
New American Standard Bible
Manasseh Succeeds Hezekiah
21 (A)Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 (B)He did evil in the sight of the Lord, (C)in accordance with the abominations of the nations whom the Lord [a]dispossessed before the sons of Israel. 3 For (D)he rebuilt the high places which his father Hezekiah had destroyed; and (E)he erected altars for Baal and made an [b]Asherah, just as Ahab king of Israel had done, and he (F)worshiped all the heavenly [c]lights and served them. 4 And (G)he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “(H)In Jerusalem I will put My name.” 5 He built altars for (I)all the heavenly [d]lights in (J)the two courtyards of the house of the Lord. 6 And (K)he made his son pass through the fire, (L)interpreted signs, practiced divination, and used mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger. 7 Then (M)he put the carved image of Asherah that he had made in the house of which the Lord had said to David and to his son Solomon, “(N)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 (O)will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will take care to act in accordance with everything that I have commanded them, and with all the Law that My servant Moses commanded them.” 9 But they did not listen, and Manasseh (P)encouraged them to do evil, more than the nations whom the Lord eliminated from the presence of the sons of Israel.
The King’s Idolatries Rebuked
10 Now the Lord spoke through His servants the prophets, saying, 11 “(Q)Since Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations, (R)having done more evil than all that the Amorites did who were before him, and (S)has also misled Judah into sin (T)with his idols, 12 therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Behold, I am bringing such a disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that whoever hears about it, (U)both of his ears will ring. 13 (V)I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem clean just as one wipes a bowl, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 And I will abandon the remnant of My inheritance and hand them over to their enemies, and they will become as plunder and spoils to all their enemies, 15 because they have done evil in My sight, and have been provoking Me to anger since the day their fathers came from Egypt, even to this day.’”
16 (W)Furthermore, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem [e]from one end to another, besides his sin (X)into which he misled Judah, in doing evil in the sight of the Lord. 17 (Y)Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh and all that he did, and his sin which he [f]committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 18 (Z)And Manasseh [g]lay down with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his own house, (AA)in the garden of Uzza, and his son Amon became king in his place.
Amon Succeeds Manasseh
19 (AB)Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. 20 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, (AC)just as his father Manasseh had done. 21 For he walked [h]entirely in the way that his father had walked, and served the idols that his father had served, and worshiped them. 22 So (AD)he abandoned the Lord, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the Lord. 23 And (AE)the servants of Amon conspired against him and killed the king in his own house. 24 Then (AF)the people of the land [i]killed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place. 25 Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 26 He was buried in his grave (AG)in the garden of Uzza, and his son Josiah became king in his place.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 21:2 Or drove out
- 2 Kings 21:3 I.e., a wooden symbol of a female deity
- 2 Kings 21:3 Lit host
- 2 Kings 21:5 Lit host
- 2 Kings 21:16 Lit mouth to mouth
- 2 Kings 21:17 Lit sinned
- 2 Kings 21:18 I.e., died
- 2 Kings 21:21 Lit in all the way that
- 2 Kings 21:24 Lit struck
2 Kings 21
American Standard Version
21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he reigned five and fifty years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, after the abominations of the nations whom Jehovah cast out before the children of Israel. 3 For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made an Asherah, as did Ahab king of Israel, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of Jehovah, whereof Jehovah said, In Jerusalem will I put my name. 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of Jehovah. 6 And he made his son to pass through the fire, and practised augury, and used enchantments, and [a]dealt with them that had familiar spirits, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger. 7 And he set the graven image of Asherah, that he had made, in the house of which Jehovah said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever; 8 neither will I cause the feet of Israel to wander any more out of the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe 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 hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do that which is evil more than did the nations whom Jehovah destroyed before the children of Israel.
10 And Jehovah spake by his servants the prophets, saying, 11 Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, that were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols; 12 therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Behold, I bring such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle. 13 And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab; and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 And I will cast off the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver 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 that which is evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.
16 Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah. 17 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 18 And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.
19 Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. 20 And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, as did Manasseh his father. 21 And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them: 22 and he forsook Jehovah, the God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of Jehovah. 23 And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and put the king to death in his own house. 24 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. 25 Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 26 And he was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza: and Josiah his son reigned in his stead.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 21:6 Or, appointed. Hebrew made.
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