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.

¹² Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster^(A) on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.^{(B) 13} I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line^(C) used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe^(D) out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. ¹⁴ I will forsake^(E) the remnant^(F) of my inheritance and give them into the hands of enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their enemies; ¹⁵ they have done evil^(G) in my eyes and have aroused^(H) my anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until this day.”