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.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 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”
2 Chronicles 33:1-20
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Reign of Manasseh
33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.(A) 2 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominable practices of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the people of Israel.(B) 3 For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had pulled down and erected altars to the Baals, made sacred poles,[a] worshiped all the host of heaven, and served them.(C) 4 He built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem shall my name be forever.”(D) 5 He built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord.(E) 6 He made his son pass through fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom, practiced soothsaying and augury and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with wizards. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.(F) 7 The carved image of the idol that he had made he set in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever;(G) 8 I will never again remove the feet of Israel from the land that I appointed for your ancestors, if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them, all the law, the statutes, and the ordinances given through Moses.”(H) 9 Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the people of Israel.
Manasseh Restored after Repentance
10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they gave no heed. 11 Therefore the Lord brought against them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh captive in manacles, bound him with fetters, and brought him to Babylon.(I) 12 While he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors.(J) 13 He prayed to him, and God received his entreaty, heard his plea, and restored him again to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord indeed was God.(K)
14 Afterward he built an outer wall for the city of David west of Gihon, in the valley, reaching the entrance at the Fish Gate; he carried it around Ophel and raised it to a very great height. He also put commanders of the army in all the fortified cities in Judah.(L) 15 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 out of the city.(M) 16 He also restored the altar of the Lord and offered on it sacrifices of well-being and of thanksgiving, and he commanded Judah to serve the Lord the God of Israel. 17 The people, however, still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.(N)
Death of Manasseh
18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, these are in the Annals of the Kings of Israel.(O) 19 His prayer, and how God received his entreaty, all his sin and his faithlessness, the sites on which he built high places and set up the sacred poles[b] and the images, before he humbled himself, these are written in the records of the seers.[c](P) 20 So Manasseh slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in his house. His son Amon succeeded him.(Q)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.