Manasseh King of Judah^(A)(B)

21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah.^{(C) 2} He did evil^(D) in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices^(E) of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. ³ He rebuilt the high places^(F) his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal^(G) and made an Asherah pole,^(H) as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts^(I) and worshiped them. ⁴ He built altars^(J) in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.”^{(K) 5} In the two courts^(L) of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. ⁶ He sacrificed his own son^(M) in the fire, practiced divination,^(N) sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists.^(O) He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing^(P) his anger.

⁷ He took the carved Asherah pole^(Q) he had made and put it in the temple,^(R) of which the Lord had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name^(S) forever.

¹⁰ and then come and stand^(A) before me in this house,^(B) which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things?^{(C) 11} Has this house,^(D) which bears my Name, become a den of robbers^(E) to you? But I have been watching!^(F) declares the Lord.

¹² “‘Go now to the place in Shiloh^(G) where I first made a dwelling^(H) for my Name,^(I) and see what I did^(J) to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel.

The Valley of Slaughter

³⁰ “‘The people of Judah have done evil^(A) in my eyes, declares the Lord. They have set up their detestable idols^(B) in the house that bears my Name and have defiled^(C) it.

⁵ Then he said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol^(A) of jealousy.

⁶ And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the utterly detestable^(A) things the Israelites are doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary?^(B) But you will see things that are even more detestable.”