Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

33 M’nasheh was twelve years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for fifty-five years in Yerushalayim. ² He did what was evil from Adonai’s perspective, following the disgusting practices of the nations whom Adonai had expelled ahead of the people of Isra’el. ³ For he rebuilt the high places which Hizkiyahu his father had smashed; he erected altars for the ba‘alim, made sacred poles and worshipped all the army of heaven and served them. ⁴ He erected altars in the house of Adonai, concerning which Adonai had said, “My name will be in Yerushalayim forever.” ⁵ He erected altars for all the army of heaven in the two courtyards of the house of Adonai. ⁶ He made his children pass through the fire [as a sacrifice] in the Ben-Hinnom Valley. He practiced soothsaying, divination and sorcery; and he appointed mediums and persons who used spirit guides. He did much that was evil from Adonai’s perspective, thus provoking him to anger. ⁷ He set the carved image of the idol he had made in the house of God, concerning which God had told David and Shlomo his son, “In this house and in Yerushalayim, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Isra’el, I will put my name forever. ⁸ Also I will not remove the feet of Isra’el from the land I assigned your ancestors, if only they will take heed to obey every order I have given them, that is, all the Torah, laws and rulings that came through Moshe.” ⁹ M’nasheh caused Y’hudah and the people of Yerushalayim to go astray, so that they did even worse things than the nations whom Adonai destroyed ahead of the people of Isra’el.

¹⁰ Adonai spoke to M’nasheh and to his people, but they paid no attention. ¹¹ Therefore Adonai brought against them the commanders of the king of Ashur’s army. They took M’nasheh captive with hooks, bound him in chains and carried him off to Bavel. ¹² Then, when he was in distress, he began to appease the anger of Adonai, abjectly humbling himself before the God of his ancestors. ¹³ He prayed to him; and God was moved by his plea, paid attention to his entreaty and brought him back to Yerushalayim, to his kingly office. Then M’nasheh understood that Adonai really is God.

¹⁴ After this he built an outer wall for the City of David on the west side of Gichon, in the valley, extending as far as the entrance at the Fish Gate; it encompassed the ‘Ofel, and he built it very high. He stationed army commanders in all the fortified cities of Y’hudah. ¹⁵ He removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of Adonai and all the altars he had built on the hill of the house of Adonai and in Yerushalayim, and threw them out of the city. ¹⁶ He repaired the altar of Adonai and offered on it sacrifices as peace offerings and for thanksgiving; and he ordered Y’hudah to serve Adonai the God of Isra’el. ¹⁷ However, the people continued sacrificing on the high places, although only to Adonai their God.

11 Trusting^[a] is being confident of what we hope for, convinced about things we do not see. ² It was for this that Scripture attested the merit of the people of old.

³ By trusting, we understand that the universe was created through a spoken word of God, so that what is seen did not come into being out of existing phenomena.

⁴ By trusting, Hevel offered a greater sacrifice than Kayin; because of this, he was attested as righteous, with God giving him this testimony on the ground of his gifts. Through having trusted, he still continues to speak, even though he is dead.

⁵ By trusting, Hanokh was taken away from this life without seeing death — “He was not to be found, because God took him away” — for he has been attested as having been, prior to being taken away, well pleasing to God.^{[b] 6} And without trusting, it is impossible to be well pleasing to God, because whoever approaches him must trust that he does exist and that he becomes a Rewarder to those who seek him out.

⁷ By trusting, Noach, after receiving divine warning about things as yet unseen, was filled with holy fear and built an ark to save his household. Through this trusting, he put the world under condemnation and received the righteousness that comes from trusting.