2 Kings 21 Previous Chapter | Next Chapter 1 Now Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, following the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. 3 For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as did Ahab king of Israel, and worshipped all the host of heavens and served them. 4 He also built heathen altars in the temple of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem I will put my name." 5 And he built altars for all the hosts of the heavens in the two courts of the temple of the LORD. 6 And he made his son pass through the fire [sacrificed him]; and practiced soothsaying and used enchantments, and dealt with mediums and wizards. He did much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. 7 He set a carved idol of Asherah that he had made in the temple, of which the LORD had said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever. 8 Neither will I make Israel's feet wander any more out of the land which I gave their forefathers, if only they will be careful to do to all that I command them and all the law that my servant Moses gave them." 9 But they would not listen; and Manasseh seduced them to do even more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel! 10 Then the LORD spoke by his servants the prophets, saying, 11 "Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations, and has done wickedly above all that the Amorites did who were before him, and has also made Judah sin with his idols, 12 Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle. 13 I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria, and the plum line used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 And I will forsake the remnant of my inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies. They shall become victims of plunder to all their enemies, 15 Because they have done what was evil in my sight and have provoked me to anger since the day their forefathers came out of Egypt to this day." 16 Moreover Manasseh shed so much innocent blood that it filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin that he had made Judah sin, in doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD. 17 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, all that he did, and his sin that he committed, are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. 18 So Manasseh slept with his forefathers and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son reigned in his place. 19 Amon was twenty two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. 20 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done. 21 He walked in all the ways that his father had walked in; and he served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them. 22 He forsook the LORD God of his forefathers, and did not walk in the way of the LORD. 23 Then the servants of Amon conspired against him and killed the king in his own palace. 24 But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and made Josiah his son king in his place. 25 Now the rest of the acts of Amon are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. 26 He was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza. And Josiah his son reigned in his place. Previous Chapter | Next Chapter |