| New King James Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. | 1Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. |
| 2But he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. | 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. |
| 3For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he raised up altars for the Baals, and made wooden images; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. | 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 bowed in worship to all the stars in the sky and served them. |
| 4He also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem shall My name be forever.” | 4He built altars in the LORD's temple, where the LORD had said, "Jerusalem is where my name will remain forever." |
| 5And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. | 5He built altars to all the stars in the sky in both courtyards of the LORD's temple. |
| 6Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger. | 6He passed his sons through the fire in Ben Hinnom Valley. He practiced witchcraft, divination, and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did a huge amount of evil in the LORD's sight, angering him. |
| 7He even set a carved image, the idol which 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 out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; | 7Manasseh set up a carved image of the idol, which he had made, in God's temple that God had spoken about 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 will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers—only if they are careful to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of 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 I have commanded them through Moses--all the law, statutes, and judgments." |
| 9So Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel. | 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. |
| 10And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen. | 10The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they didn't listen. |
| 11Therefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze fetters, and carried 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. |
| 12Now when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, | 12When he was in distress, he sought the favor of the LORD his God and earnestly humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. |
| 13and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God. | 13He prayed to him, and the LORD was receptive to his prayer. He granted his request and brought him back to Jerusalem, to his kingdom. So Manasseh came to know that the LORD is God. |
| 14After this he built a wall outside the City of David on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate; and it enclosed Ophel, and he raised it to a very great height. Then he put military captains in all the fortified cities of Judah. | 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 took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem; and he cast them out of 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 also repaired the altar of the LORD, sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and commanded 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 the LORD, the God of Israel. |
| 17Nevertheless the people still sacrificed on the high places, but only to the LORD their God. | 17However, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the LORD their God. |
| 18Now 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, indeed they are written in the book 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 the LORD, the God of Israel, are written in the Events of Israel's Kings. |
| 19Also his prayer and how God received his entreaty, and all his sin and trespass, and the sites where he built high places and set up wooden images and carved images, before he was humbled, indeed they are written among the sayings of Hozai. | 19His prayer and how God was receptive to his prayer, 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 Events of Hozai. |
| 20So Manasseh rested with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. Then his son Amon reigned 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 twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. | 21Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. |
| 22But he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done; for Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and served them. | 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. |
| 23And he did not humble himself before the LORD, as his father Manasseh had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more. | 23But he did not humble himself before the LORD like his father Manasseh humbled himself; instead, Amon increased his guilt. |
| 24Then his servants conspired against him, and killed him in his own house. | 24So his servants conspired against him and put him to death in his own house. |
| 25But the people of the land executed all those who had conspired against King Amon. Then the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place. | 25The common people killed all who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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