2 Kings 21:1-26
Kings Manasseh and Amon
1 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.
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.
Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to rule...He ruled 55 years in Jerusalem...His mother’s name was Hephzibah...Manasseh did what the LORD said was wrong...He did the terrible things the other nations did...(And the LORD forced those nations to leave their country when the Israelites came.)...Manasseh rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed...He also built altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole, just as King Ahab of Israel had done...Manasseh worshiped and served the stars of heaven...He built altars to honor false gods in the LORD’s Temple...(This is the place the LORD was talking about when He said, “I will put My name in Jerusalem.”)...Manasseh built altars for the stars of heaven in the two courtyards of the LORD’s Temple...He sacrificed his own son and burned him on the altar....He used different ways of trying to know the future...He visited mediums and wizards...Manasseh did more and more things that the LORD saw as evil, which made the LORD angry...Manasseh made a carved statue of Asherah...He put this statue in the Temple...The LORD had said to David and to David’s son Solomon about this Temple: “I have chosen Jerusalem from all the cities in Israel...I will put My name in the Temple in Jerusalem forever...I will not cause the Israelites to leave the land that I gave to their ancestors...I will let the people stay in their land if they obey everything I commanded them and all the teachings that My servant Moses gave them.”...But the people did not listen to God...Manasseh did more evil things than all the nations that lived in Canaan before Israel came...And the LORD destroyed those nations when the Israelites came to take their land...The LORD used His servants the prophets to say this: “King Manasseh of Judah has done these hated things and has done more evil than the Amorites before him...He also has caused Judah to sin because of his idols...So the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘Look!...I will bring so much trouble against Jerusalem and Judah that anyone who hears about it will be shocked....I will stretch the measuring line of Samaria and the plumb line of Ahab’s family over Jerusalem....A man wipes a dish, and then he turns it upside down...I will do that to Jerusalem...There will still be a few of My people left, but I will leave them...I will give them to their enemies...Their enemies will take them as prisoners—they will be like the valuable things soldiers take in war...This is because My people did what I said was wrong...They have made Me angry with them since the day their ancestors came up out of Egypt...And Manasseh killed many innocent people...He filled Jerusalem from one end to another with blood...And all these sins are in addition to the sins that caused Judah to sin...Manasseh caused Judah to do what the LORD said was wrong.’”...All the things that Manasseh did, including the sins that he committed, are written in the book, The History of the Kings of Judah...Manasseh died and was buried with his ancestors...He was buried in the garden at his house. It was called the “Garden of Uzza.”...His son Amon became the new king after him...
Amon was 22 years old when he began to rule...He ruled two years in Jerusalem...His mother’s name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz from Jotbah...Amon did what the LORD said was wrong, just as his father Manasseh had done...Amon lived just as his father had lived...He worshiped and served the same idols his father had worshiped...Amon left the LORD, the God of his ancestors, and did not live the way the LORD wanted...Amon’s servants made plans against him and killed him in his palace...The common people killed all the officers who made plans against King Amon...Then the people made Amon’s son Josiah the new king after him...The other things that Amon did are written in the book, The History of the Kings of Judah...Amon was buried in his grave at the Garden of Uzza. His son Josiah became the new king...