Manasseh King of Judah
21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he
became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name
was Hephzibah. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices
of the nations the Lord had driven
out before the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high places his father
Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah
pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts
and worshiped them. 4 He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put
my Name.” 5 In the two courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry
hosts. 6 He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced
divination, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much
evil in the eyes of the Lord,
arousing his anger.
7 He took the carved Asherah pole he had
made and put it in the temple, of which the Lord
had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem,
which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name
forever. 8 I will not again make the feet of the Israelites wander
from the land I gave their ancestors, if only they will be careful to do
everything I commanded them and will keep the whole Law that my servant Moses
gave them.” 9 But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them
astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.
10 The Lord
said through his servants the prophets: 11 “Manasseh king of Judah
has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil than the Amorites
who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols. 12 Therefore
this is what the Lord, the God of
Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the
ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. 13 I will stretch out
over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line used
against the house of Ahab. I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish,
wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 I will forsake the remnant
of my inheritance and give them into the hands of enemies. They will be looted
and plundered by all their enemies; 15 they have done evil in my
eyes and have aroused my anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt
until this day.”
16 Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much
innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he
had caused Judah to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.
17 As for the other events of Manasseh’s
reign, and all he did, including the sin he committed, are they not written in
the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 18 Manasseh rested
with his ancestors and was buried in his palace garden, the garden of Uzza. And
Amon his son succeeded him as king.
Amon King of Judah
19 Amon was twenty-two years old when he
became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. His mother’s name was
Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz; she was from Jotbah. 20 He did evil
in the eyes of the Lord, as his
father Manasseh had done. 21 He followed completely the ways of his
father, worshiping the idols his father had worshiped, and bowing down to them.
22 He forsook the Lord,
the God of his ancestors, and did not walk in obedience to him.
23 Amon’s officials conspired against him
and assassinated the king in his palace. 24 Then the people of the
land killed all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah his son
king in his place.
25 As for the other events of Amon’s
reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the
kings of Judah? 26 He was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza.
And Josiah his son succeeded him as king.
2 Chronicles 33:
Manasseh
King of Judah
33
Manasseh
was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem
fifty-five years. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high places his
father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Baals and made
Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them.
4 He built altars in the
temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “My Name will remain
in Jerusalem forever.” 5 In both courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. 6 He sacrificed his children in the
fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced divination and witchcraft, sought
omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of
the Lord, arousing his anger.
7 He took the image he had made and put it in God’s temple, of which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever. 8 I will not again make the feet of the Israelites leave the land I assigned to your ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them concerning all the laws, decrees and regulations given through Moses.” 9 But Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.
10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. 11 So the Lord brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. 12 In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. 13 And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.
14 Afterward he rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David, west of the Gihon spring in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate and encircling the hill of Ophel; he also made it much higher. He stationed military commanders in all the fortified cities in Judah.
15 He got rid of the foreign gods and removed the image from the temple of the Lord, as well as all the altars he had built on the temple hill and in Jerusalem; and he threw them out of the city. 16 Then he restored the altar of the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offerings and thank offerings on it, and told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. 17 The people, however, continued to sacrifice at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.
18 The other events of Manasseh’s reign, including his prayer to his God and the words the seers spoke to him in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, are written in the annals of the kings of Israel.[a] 19 His prayer and how God was moved by his entreaty, as well as all his sins and unfaithfulness, and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself—all these are written in the records of the seers.[b] 20 Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.
Amon
King of Judah
21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. 22 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. Amon worshiped and offered sacrifices to all the idols Manasseh had made. 23 But unlike his father Manasseh, he did not humble himself before the Lord; Amon increased his guilt.
24 Amon’s officials conspired against him and assassinated him in his palace. 25 Then the people of the land killed all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah his son king in his place.
Where have you seen God’s grace
in your life today?