| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Manasseh began to reign at the age of twelve years, and continued to reign for 55 years in Jerusalem. | 1Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king and reigned 55 years in Jerusalem. |
| 2But he practiced what the LORD considered to be evil by behaving detestably, as did the nations whom the LORD expelled in front of the Israelis. | 2He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, imitating the detestable practices of the nations that the LORD had dispossessed before the Israelites. |
| 3He re-established the high places that his father Hezekiah had demolished, he built altars to the Baals, erected Asherim, and worshipped and served the armies of heaven. | 3He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down and reestablished the altars for the Baals. He made Asherah poles, and he worshiped the whole heavenly host and served them. |
| 4He also built altars in the LORD's Temple, about which the LORD had spoken "My name will reside in Jerusalem forever." | 4He built altars in the LORD's temple, where Yahweh had said, "Jerusalem is where My name will remain forever." |
| 5He built altars for all the armies of heaven in the two courtyards of the LORD's Temple. | 5He built altars to the whole heavenly host in both courtyards of the LORD's temple. |
| 6He burned his sons as an offering in the Ben-hinnom Valley, practiced fortune-telling, witchcraft, sorcery, and communicated with mediums and separatists. He did a lot of things that the LORD considered to be evil, thus provoking him. | 6He passed his sons through the fire in the Valley of Hinnom. He practiced witchcraft, divination, and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did a great deal of evil in the LORD's sight, provoking Him. |
| 7He also placed an image that he had carved in God's Temple, the place about which God had told to David and to his son Solomon, "I will place my name in this Temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel," | 7Manasseh set up a carved image of the idol he had made, in God's temple, about which God had said to David and his son Solomon, "I will establish My name forever in this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. |
| 8and "I won't let Israel's foothold slip on the land that I've given to your ancestors, if only they will be careful to keep everything that I commanded them in the Law, in the statutes, and in the ordinance through Moses." | 8I will never again remove the feet of the Israelites from the land where I stationed your ancestors, if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them through Moses--all the law, statutes, and judgments." |
| 9This is how Manasseh deceived Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to practice more evil than the nations whom the LORD had eliminated in front of the Israelis. | 9So Manasseh caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to stray so that they did worse evil than the nations the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites. |
| 10The LORD kept on speaking to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention to him, | 10The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they didn't listen. |
| 11so the LORD brought in the army commanders who worked for the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him in bronze chains, and took him off to Babylon. | 11So He brought against them the military commanders of the king of Assyria. They captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon. |
| 12But when he was in trouble, he sought the face of the LORD his God, humbled himself magnificently before the God of his ancestors, | 12When he was in distress, he sought the favor of Yahweh his God and earnestly humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. |
| 13and prayed to him. Moved by Manasseh's entreaties, the LORD heard his supplications and brought him back to his kingdom in Jerusalem. That's how Manasseh learned that the LORD is God. | 13He prayed to Him, so He heard his petition and granted his request, and brought him back to Jerusalem, to his kingdom. So Manasseh came to know that Yahweh is God. |
| 14Later on, Manasseh reinforced the outer wall to the City of David on the west side overlooking the Gihon Valley as far as the Fish Gate. He encircled the Ophel, raising it to a great height. | 14After this, he built the outer wall of the city of David from west of Gihon in the valley to the entrance of the Fish Gate; he brought it around the Ophel, and he heightened it considerably. He also placed military commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah. |
| 15He also eliminated the foreign gods and idols from the LORD's Temple, along with all of the altars that he had built in Jerusalem and on the mountain where the LORD's Temple was located, and he discarded them outside the city. | 15He removed the foreign gods and the idol from the LORD's temple, along with all the altars that he had built on the mountain of the LORD's temple and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city. |
| 16He set up an altar to the LORD, sacrificed peace offerings on it, and ordered Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel. | 16He built the altar of the LORD and offered fellowship and thank offerings on it. Then he told Judah to serve Yahweh, the God of Israel. |
| 17Even so, the people continued to sacrifice in the high places, but only to the LORD their God. | 17However, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to Yahweh their God. |
| 18Now as to the rest of Manasseh's accomplishments, including his prayer to God and what the seers had to say to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, they are included among the Acts of the Kings of Israel. | 18The rest of the events of Manasseh's reign, along with his prayer to his God and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, are written in the Records of Israel's Kings. |
| 19His prayer, how God was moved by him, all of his sin and unfaithfulness, and a record of the sites where he constructed high places, erected Asherim and carved images before he humbled himself are written in the Acts of the Seers. | 19His prayer and how God granted his request, and all his sin and unfaithfulness and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and carved images before he humbled himself, they are written in the Records of Hozai. |
| 20So Manasseh died, as had his ancestors, and they buried him in his own palace while his son Amon became king in his place. | 20Manasseh rested with his fathers, and he was buried in his own house. His son Amon became king in his place. |
| 21Amon was 22 years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. | 21Amon was 22 years old when he became king and reigned two years in Jerusalem. |
| 22He practiced what the LORD considered to be evil, just as his father Manasseh had done, sacrificing to and serving all the carved images that his father Manasseh had made, | 22He did what was evil in the LORD's sight just as his father Manasseh had done. Amon sacrificed to all the carved images that his father Manasseh had made, and he served them. |
| 23except that he never humbled himself to the LORD like his father Manasseh had done. In fact, Amon multiplied his own guilt | 23But he did not humble himself before the LORD like his father Manasseh humbled himself; instead, Amon increased his guilt. |
| 24until his servants finally conspired against him and executed him in his own palace. | 24So his servants conspired against him and put him to death in his own house. |
| 25But the people of the land executed all of the conspirators against King Amon and installed his son Josiah as king to succeed him. | 25Then the common people executed all those who conspired against King Amon and made his son Josiah king in his place. |
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