1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he
reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 He did that which was evil in the
sight of Yahweh, after the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh cast out
before the children of Israel. 3 For he built again the high places which
Hezekiah his father had broken down; and he reared up altars for the Baals,
and made Asheroth, and worshiped all the host of the sky, and served them.
4 He built altars in the house of Yahweh, whereof Yahweh said, In
Jerusalem shall my name be forever. 5 He built altars for all the host of
the sky in the two courts of the house of Yahweh. 6 He also made his
children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom; and he
practiced sorcery, and used enchantments, and practiced sorcery, and dealt
with those who had familiar spirits, and with wizards: he worked much evil in
the sight of Yahweh, to provoke him to anger. 7 He set the engraved image
of the idol, which he had made, in the house of God, of which God 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, will I put my name forever:
8 neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from off the land
which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all
that I have commanded them, even all the law and the statutes and the
ordinances given by Moses. 9 Manasseh seduced Judah and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did evil more than did the nations
whom Yahweh destroyed before the children of Israel. 10 Yahweh spoke to
Manasseh, and to his people; but they gave no heed. 11 Therefore Yahweh
brought on them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, who took
Manasseh in chains, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
12 When he was in distress, he begged Yahweh his God, and humbled himself
greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 He prayed to him; and he was
entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to
Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Yahweh he was God.
14 Now after this he built an outer wall to the city of David, on the west
side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance at the fish gate; and he
compassed Ophel about with it, and raised it up to a very great
height: and he put valiant captains in all the fortified cities of Judah.
15 He took away the foreign gods, and the idol out of the house of Yahweh,
and all the altars that he had built in the mountain of the house of Yahweh,
and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. 16 He built up the altar
of Yahweh, and offered thereon sacrifices of peace-offerings and of
thanksgiving, and commanded Judah to serve Yahweh, the God of Israel.
17 Nevertheless the people sacrificed still in the high places, but only
to Yahweh their God. 18 Now 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
Yahweh, the God of Israel, behold, they are written among the acts of the
kings of Israel. 19 His prayer also, and how God was entreated of
him, and all his sin and his trespass, and the places in which he built high
places, and set up the Asherim and the engraved images, before he humbled
himself: behold, they are written in the history of Hozai. 20 So Manasseh
slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his
son reigned in his place. 21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he began
to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. 22 He did that which was
evil in the sight of Yahweh, as did Manasseh his father; and Amon sacrificed
to all the engraved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served
them. 23 He didn’t humble himself before Yahweh, as Manasseh his father
had humbled himself; but this same Amon trespassed more and more. 24 His
servants conspired against him, and put him to death in his own house.
25 But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against
king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his
place.
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