2 Chronicles 33
English Standard Version
Manasseh Reigns in Judah
33 (A)Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to (B)the abominations of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places (C)that his father Hezekiah had broken down, and he erected altars to the Baals, and made (D)Asheroth, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, (E)“In Jerusalem shall my name be forever.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in (F)the two courts of the house of the Lord. 6 (G)And he burned his sons as an offering (H)in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and (I)used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with (J)mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 7 And (K)the carved image of the idol that he had made he set in the house of God, of which God 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, (L)I will put my name forever, 8 and I will no more remove the foot of Israel from the land (M)that I appointed for your fathers, if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them, all the law, the statutes, and the rules given through Moses.” 9 Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel.
Manasseh's Repentance
10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. 11 (N)Therefore the Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and (O)bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. 12 And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God (P)and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 He prayed to him, and (Q)God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. (R)Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.
14 Afterward he built an outer wall for the city of David west of (S)Gihon, in the valley, and for the entrance into (T)the Fish Gate, and carried it around (U)Ophel, and raised it to a very great height. He also put commanders of the army in all the fortified cities in Judah. 15 And (V)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 outside of the city. 16 He also restored the altar of the Lord and offered on it sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving, and he commanded Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. 17 (W)Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.
18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and (X)his prayer to his God, and the words of (Y)the seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, behold, they are in the (Z)Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 19 And his prayer, and how (AA)God was moved by his entreaty, and all his sin and his faithlessness, and the sites (AB)on which he built high places and set up the (AC)Asherim and the images, before (AD)he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the Chronicles of the Seers.[a] 20 So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his house, and Amon his son reigned in his place.
Amon's Reign and Death
21 (AE)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 sight of the Lord, as Manasseh his father had done. Amon sacrificed to all the images (AF)that Manasseh his father had made, and served them. 23 And he did not humble himself before the Lord, (AG)as Manasseh his father had humbled himself, but this Amon incurred guilt more and more. 24 And his servants conspired against him and put him to death in his house. 25 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.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 33:19 One Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts of Hozai
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
Contemporary English Version
King Manasseh of Judah
(2 Kings 21.1-9,17,18)
33 Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled 55 years from Jerusalem. 2 (A) Manasseh disobeyed the Lord by following the disgusting customs of the nations that the Lord had forced out of Israel. 3 He rebuilt the local shrines[a] that his father Hezekiah had torn down. He built altars for the god Baal and set up sacred poles[b] for worshiping the goddess Asherah. And he continued to worship the stars.
4 In the temple, where only the Lord was supposed to be worshiped, Manasseh built altars for the worship of pagan gods 5 and the stars. He placed these altars in both courtyards of the temple 6-7 (B) and even set up a stone image of a foreign god. Manasseh practiced magic and witchcraft; he asked fortunetellers for advice and sacrificed his own sons in Hinnom Valley. He did many other sinful things and made the Lord very angry.
Years ago, God had told David and Solomon:
Jerusalem is the place I prefer above all others in Israel. It belongs to me, and there in the temple I will be worshiped forever. 8 If my people will faithfully obey all the laws and teaching I gave to my servant Moses, I will never again force them to leave the land I gave to their ancestors.
9 But the people of Judah and Jerusalem listened to Manasseh and did even more sinful things than the nations the Lord had wiped out.
10 The Lord tried to warn Manasseh and the people about their sins, but they ignored the warning. 11 So he let Assyrian army commanders invade Judah and capture Manasseh. They put a hook in his nose and tied him up in chains, and they took him to Babylon. 12 While Manasseh was held captive there, he asked the Lord God to forgive him and to help him. 13 The Lord listened to Manasseh's prayer and saw how sorry he was, and so he let him go back to Jerusalem and rule as king. Manasseh knew from then on that the Lord was God.
14 Later, Manasseh rebuilt the eastern section of Jerusalem's outer wall and made it taller. This section went from Gihon Valley north to Fish Gate and around the part of the city called Mount Ophel. He also assigned army officers to each of the fortified cities in Judah.[c]
15 Manasseh also removed the idols and the stone image of the foreign god from the temple, and he gathered the altars he had built near the temple and in other parts of Jerusalem. He threw all these things outside the city. 16 Then he repaired the Lord's altar and offered sacrifices to thank him and sacrifices to ask his blessing.[d] He gave orders that everyone in Judah must worship the Lord God of Israel. 17 The people obeyed Manasseh, but they worshiped the Lord at their own shrines.
18 Everything else Manasseh did while he was king, including his prayer to the Lord God and the warnings from his prophets, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. 19 Hozai[e] wrote a lot about Manasseh, including his prayer and God's answer. But Hozai also recorded the evil things Manasseh did before turning back to God, as well as a list of places where Manasseh set up idols, and where he built local shrines and places to worship Asherah. 20 Manasseh died and was buried near the palace, and his son Amon became king.
King Amon of Judah
(2 Kings 21.19-26)
21 Amon was 22 years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled from Jerusalem for 2 years. 22 Amon disobeyed the Lord, just as his father Manasseh had done, and he worshiped and offered sacrifices to the idols his father had made. 23 Manasseh had turned back to the Lord, but Amon refused to do that. Instead, he sinned even more than his father.
24 Some of Amon's officials plotted against him and killed him in his palace. 25 But the people of Judah killed the murderers of Amon and made his son Josiah king.
Footnotes
- 33.3 local shrines: See the note at 11.15.
- 33.3 sacred poles: See the note at 14.3.
- 33.14 fortified cities in Judah: At this time, Judah was under the control of Assyria. The fortifications mentioned in this verse may have been done under orders from Assyrian officials, hoping to strengthen their southern border against the rising power of Egypt.
- 33.16 sacrifices to ask his blessing: See the note at 29.33.
- 33.19 Hozai: Or “The prophets.”
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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