2 Kings 21:1-9

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.