2 Chronicles 33:1-20
New American Standard Bible
Manasseh Succeeds Hezekiah in Judah
33 (A)Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 (B)He did evil in the sight of the Lord according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord dispossessed before the sons of Israel. 3 For (C)he rebuilt the high places which his father Hezekiah had torn down; (D)he also set up altars for the Baals and made [a]Asherim, and he worshiped all the heavenly [b]lights and served them. 4 (E)He built altars in the house of the Lord of which the Lord had said, “My name shall be (F)in Jerusalem forever.” 5 He built altars for all the heavenly [c]lights in (G)the two courtyards of the house of the Lord. 6 (H)He also made his sons pass through the fire in the Valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery, and (I)dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger. 7 Then he put (J)the carved image of the idol which he had made in the house of God, of which God had said to David and his son Solomon, “(K)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 will not remove the foot of Israel again from the land (L)which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will take care to do everything that I have commanded them according to all the Law, the statutes, and the ordinances given through Moses.” 9 So Manasseh encouraged Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel.
Manasseh’s Idolatry Rebuked
10 So the Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but (M)they paid no attention. 11 (N)Therefore the Lord brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks, (O)bound him with bronze chains, and led him to Babylon. 12 When (P)he was in distress, he appeased the Lord his God and (Q)humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 When he prayed to Him, (R)He was moved by him and heard his pleading, and brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh (S)knew that the Lord alone is God.
14 Now after this he built the outer wall of the city of David on the west side of (T)Gihon, in the valley, up to the entrance of the (U)Fish Gate; and he encircled the (V)Ophel with it and made it very high. Then he put army commanders in all the fortified cities in Judah. 15 He also (W)removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord, as well as all the altars which he had built on the mountain of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city. 16 He set up the altar of the Lord and sacrificed (X)peace offerings and thanksgiving offerings on it; and he ordered Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. 17 However, (Y)the people still sacrificed on the high places, although only to the Lord their God.
18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh and (Z)his prayer to his God, and the words of (AA)the seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, behold, they are among the records of the kings of (AB)Israel. 19 His prayer also and (AC)how God was moved by him, and all his sin, his unfaithfulness, and (AD)the sites on which he built high places and erected the [d]Asherim and the carved images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the records of [e]Hozai. 20 So Manasseh [f]lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. And his son Amon became king in his place.
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- 2 Chronicles 33:3 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)
- 2 Chronicles 33:3 Lit host
- 2 Chronicles 33:5 Lit host
- 2 Chronicles 33:19 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)
- 2 Chronicles 33:19 LXX seers
- 2 Chronicles 33:20 I.e., died
2 Chronicles 33:1-20
Lexham English Bible
The Reign of Manasseh
33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did evil in the eyes of Yahweh according to the detestable things of the nations whom Yahweh drove out before the Israelites.[a] 3 And he rebuilt[b] the high places that Hezekiah his father broke down, and he set up altars for the Baals, made Asherahs, and bowed down to the host of heaven and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of Yahweh, of which Yahweh had said, “In Jerusalem my name shall be forever.” 5 And he built altars to all the host of heaven in the two courtyards of the house of Yahweh. 6 And he himself burned his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom. And he practiced sorcery and divination, and he engaged in witchcraft and dealt with mediums and spiritists. And he did much evil in the eyes of Yahweh, to provoke him to anger. 7 And he placed the carved image of the idol that he had made in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, “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 will never[c] remove the foot of Israel from upon the land that I appointed to your ancestors,[d] if only you will take care to do all that I have commanded them, all the law, the regulations, and the judgments by the hand of Moses.” 9 And Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do evil more than the nations that Yahweh destroyed before the Israelites.[e]
Manasseh’s Repentance
10 And Yahweh spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they would not listen. 11 So Yahweh brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria upon them, and they took Manasseh captive with hooks, and they bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon. 12 And when he was in distress he entreated Yahweh his God and greatly humbled himself before the God of his ancestors[f] 13 and prayed to him. And God responded to him and heard his plea and let him return to Jerusalem to his kingdom. And Manasseh knew that Yahweh was God.
14 Then afterward he built an outer wall for the city of David west of the Gihon in the valley, and for the entrance into the Gate of the Fishes. And it encircled the Ophel and raised it very high. Then he placed strong commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah. 15 And he removed the foreign gods and the carved image from the house of Yahweh and all the altars which he built on the mountain of the house of Yahweh and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city. 16 And he restored the altar of Yahweh and offered sacrifices of peace offerings and thank offerings upon it. And he commanded Judah to serve Yahweh, the God of Israel. 17 Nevertheless, the people offered at the high places, but only to Yahweh their God.
18 Now the remainder of the words of Manasseh and his prayer to his God and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, behold, they are in the words of the kings of Israel. 19 And his prayer, and how he[g] responded to him, all his sin and his unfaithful acts, and the places where he built the high places and set up Asherahs and idols before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the words of the seers.
Amon’s Reign
20 And Manasseh slept with his ancestors,[h] and they buried him in his house. And Amon his son became king in his place.
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- 2 Chronicles 33:2 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- 2 Chronicles 33:3 Literally “returned and built”
- 2 Chronicles 33:8 Literally “not continue to”
- 2 Chronicles 33:8 Or “fathers”
- 2 Chronicles 33:9 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- 2 Chronicles 33:12 Or “fathers”
- 2 Chronicles 33:19 That is, God
- 2 Chronicles 33:20 Or “fathers”
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