1Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem;
2But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like the abominations of the pagans, whom the LORD had drove out before the children of Israel.
3For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah, his father, had torn down, and he raised up altars for Baalim, made idols, and worshipped and served all the host of heaven.
4He also built altars for all the host of heaven in the temple of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem shall My name be forever.”
5He built altars in the two courts of the temple of the LORD.
6And he sacrificed his children (made them pass through the fire) in the valley of the son of Hinnom; and he observed times, used enchantments, practiced sorcery, dealt with a medium, and with wizards; he did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
7And he set a carved image, an idol he had made, in the temple of God, where God had said to David and Solomon, his son, “In this temple, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever:
8I will no more remove Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers; so that they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law, the statutes and the ordinances given through Moses.”
9So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to sin, and to do worse than the nations, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.
10And the LORD spoke to Manasseh, and to His people; but they paid no attention.
11Therefore, the LORD brought the commanders of the army of Assyria, who put Manasseh in chains, bound with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
12But when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD, his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,
13And prayed to Him; and God heard his supplication, and restored him to his kingdom in Jerusalem. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD, He is indeed God.
14After this Manasseh built an outer wall for the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, to the entrance at the fish gate, and encircled about Ophel (the original city), and made it very high, and stationed military commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah.
15He also removed the foreign gods, and the idol out of the temple of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the temple of the LORD, and in Jerusalem, and threw them out of the city.
16And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed on it peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.
17Yet, the people still sacrificed in the high places, but only unto the LORD, their God.
18Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel.
19His prayer also, and how God was entreated of him, all his sin, and trespass, and the places where he built high places, and set up idols and carved images, before he was humbled; they are written in the records of the seers.
20So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house; and Amon, his son, reigned in his stead.
21Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years in Jerusalem.
22But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as Manasseh, his father had done; for Amon sacrificed to and served all the carved images which Manasseh, his father, had made.
23And He failed to humble himself before the LORD, as Manasseh, his father, had done; but Amon trespassed more and more.
24And his servants conspired against him, and killed him in his own house.
25Then the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against and killed Amon; and they made Josiah, his son, king in his stead. Easy Reader Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2023 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |
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