2 Chronicles 33
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
Judah’s King Manasseh
33 Manasseh was twelve years old(A) when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five 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 re-established the altars for the Baals. He made Asherah poles, and he bowed in worship to all the stars in the sky and served them. 4 He built altars(D) in the Lord’s temple, where the Lord had said, ‘Jerusalem is where my name will remain for ever.’(E) 5 He built altars to all the stars in the sky in both courtyards(F) of the Lord’s temple. 6 He passed his sons through the fire in Ben Hinnom Valley.(G) He practised witchcraft, divination, and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists.(H) He did a huge amount of evil in the Lord’s sight, angering him.
7 Manasseh(I) set up a carved image of the idol, which he had made, in God’s temple(J) that God had spoken about to David and his son Solomon: ‘I will establish my name for ever[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 I have commanded them through Moses – all the law, statutes, and judgements.’ 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 favour of the Lord his God and earnestly humbled himself(Q) before the God of his ancestors. 13 He prayed to him, and the Lord was receptive to his prayer. He granted his request(R) and brought him back to Jerusalem, to his kingdom. So Manasseh came to know that the Lord 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 round 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 thanksgiving sacrifices on it. Then he told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. 17 However, the people still sacrificed at the high places,(X) but only to the Lord 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 the Lord, the God of Israel, are written in the Events of Israel’s Kings. 19 His prayer and how God was receptive to his prayer, 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 Events of Hozai. 20 Manasseh rested with his ancestors, and he was buried in his own house. His son Amon became king in his place.
Judah’s King Amon
21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for 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 The common people[d] killed all who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place.
2 Chronicles 33
New King James Version
Manasseh Reigns in Judah(A)
33 Manasseh (B)was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 But he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the (C)abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the [a]high places which Hezekiah his father had (D)broken down; he raised up altars for the Baals, and (E)made wooden images; and he worshiped (F)all [b]the host of heaven and served them. 4 He also built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, (G)“In Jerusalem shall My name be forever.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven (H)in the two courts of the house of the Lord. 6 (I)Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced (J)soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and (K)consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. 7 (L)He even set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the [c]house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, (M)“In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; 8 (N)and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers—only if they are careful to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.” 9 So Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.
Manasseh Restored After Repentance
10 And the Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not [d]listen. 11 (O)Therefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with [e]hooks, (P)bound him with [f]bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon. 12 Now when he was in affliction, he implored the Lord his God, and (Q)humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 13 and prayed to Him; and He (R)received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh (S)knew that the Lord was God.
14 After this he built a wall outside the City of David on the west side of (T)Gihon, in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate; and it (U)enclosed Ophel, and he raised it to a very great height. Then he put military captains in all the fortified cities of Judah. 15 He took away (V)the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem; and he cast them out of the city. 16 He also repaired the altar of the Lord, sacrificed peace offerings and (W)thank offerings on it, and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. 17 (X)Nevertheless the people still sacrificed on the [g]high places, but only to the Lord their God.
Death of Manasseh(Y)
18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, his prayer to his God, and the words of (Z)the seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, indeed they are written in the [h]book of the kings of Israel. 19 Also his prayer and how God received his entreaty, and all his sin and trespass, and the sites where he built [i]high places and set up wooden images and carved images, before he was humbled, indeed they are written among the sayings of [j]Hozai. 20 (AA)So Manasseh rested with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. Then his son Amon reigned in his place.
Amon’s Reign and Death(AB)
21 (AC)Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. 22 But he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done; for Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and served them. 23 And he did not humble himself before the Lord, (AD)as his father Manasseh had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.
24 (AE)Then his servants conspired against him, and (AF)killed him in his own house. 25 But the people of the land executed all those who had conspired against King Amon. Then the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 33:3 Places for pagan worship
- 2 Chronicles 33:3 The gods of the Assyrians
- 2 Chronicles 33:7 Temple
- 2 Chronicles 33:10 obey
- 2 Chronicles 33:11 Nose hooks, 2 Kin. 19:28
- 2 Chronicles 33:11 chains
- 2 Chronicles 33:17 Places for pagan worship
- 2 Chronicles 33:18 Lit. words
- 2 Chronicles 33:19 Places for pagan worship
- 2 Chronicles 33:19 LXX the seers
2 Chronicles 33
New Century Version
Manasseh King of Judah
33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he was king for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 He did what the Lord said was wrong. He did the hateful things the nations had done—the nations that the Lord had forced out of the land ahead of the Israelites. 3 Manasseh’s father, Hezekiah, had torn down the places where gods were worshiped, but Manasseh rebuilt them. He also built altars for the Baal gods, and he made Asherah idols and worshiped all the stars of the sky and served them. 4 The Lord had said about the Temple, “I will be worshiped in Jerusalem forever,” but Manasseh built altars in the Temple of the Lord. 5 He built altars to worship the stars in the two courtyards of the Temple of the Lord. 6 He made his children pass through fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. He practiced magic and witchcraft and told the future by explaining signs and dreams. He got advice from mediums and fortune-tellers. He did many things the Lord said were wrong, which made the Lord angry.
7 Manasseh carved an idol and put it in the Temple of God. God had said to David and his son Solomon about the Temple, “I will be worshiped forever in this Temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel. 8 I will never again make the Israelites leave the land I gave to their ancestors. But they must obey everything I have commanded them in all the teachings, rules, and commands I gave them through Moses.” 9 But Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem to do wrong. They did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed ahead of the Israelites.
10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they did not listen. 11 So the Lord brought the king of Assyria’s army commanders to attack Judah. They captured Manasseh, put hooks in him, placed bronze chains on his hands, and took him to Babylon. 12 As Manasseh suffered, he begged the Lord his God for help and humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. 13 When Manasseh prayed, the Lord heard him and had pity on him. So the Lord let him return to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is the true God.
14 After that happened, Manasseh rebuilt the outer wall of Jerusalem and made it higher. It was in the valley on the west side of the Gihon spring and went to the entrance of the Fish Gate and around the hill of Ophel. Then he put commanders in all the strong, walled cities in Judah.
15 Manasseh removed the idols of other nations, including the idol in the Temple of the Lord. He removed all the altars he had built on the Temple hill and in Jerusalem and threw them out of the city. 16 Then he set up the Lord’s altar and sacrificed on it fellowship offerings and offerings to show thanks to God. Manasseh commanded all the people of Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. 17 The people continued to offer sacrifices at the places of worship, but their sacrifices were only to the Lord their God. 18 The other things Manasseh did as king, his prayer to his God, and what the seers said to him in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel—all are recorded in the book of the history of the kings of Israel. 19 Manasseh’s prayer and God’s pity for him, his sins, his unfaithfulness, the places he built for worshiping gods and the Asherah idols before he humbled himself—all are written in the book of the seers. 20 Manasseh died and was buried in his palace. Then Manasseh’s son Amon became king in his place.
Amon King of Judah
21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he was king for two years in Jerusalem. 22 He did what the Lord said was wrong, as his father Manasseh had done. Amon worshiped and offered sacrifices to all the carved idols Manasseh had made. 23 Amon did not humble himself before the Lord as his father Manasseh had done. Instead, Amon sinned even more.
24 King Amon’s officers made plans against him and killed him in his palace. 25 Then the people of the land killed all those who had made plans to kill King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.