| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Manasseh began to reign at the age of twelve, and he reigned for 55 years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Hephzibah. | 1Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was Hephzibah. |
| 2He did what the LORD considered to be evil, following the despicable practices of the nations whom the LORD had expelled in full view of the people of Israel. | 2He did evil in the sight of the LORD and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations whom the LORD drove out from before the Israelites. |
| 3He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed. He erected altars for Baal, crafted an Asherah, just as King Ahab of Israel had done, and worshipped and served the stars of heaven. | 3He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole just like King Ahab of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky and worshiped them. |
| 4He also built altars in the LORD's Temple, about which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem I will place my Name." | 4He built altars in the LORD's temple, about which the LORD had said, "Jerusalem will be my home." |
| 5He built two altars to every star in the heavens in the two courts of the LORD's Temple. | 5In the two courtyards of the LORD's temple he built altars for all the stars in the sky. |
| 6He made his son into a burnt offering, practiced witchcraft, used divination, and consorted with mediums and spirit-channelers. He practiced many things that the LORD considered to be evil and provoked him. | 6He passed his son through the fire and practiced divination and omen reading. He set up a ritual pit to conjure up underworld spirits, and appointed magicians to supervise it. He did a great amount of evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. |
| 7He also erected the carved image of Asherah that he had made inside the Temple about which the LORD had spoken to David and to his son Solomon, "I will put my Name forever in this Temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all of the tribes of Israel. | 7He put an idol of Asherah he had made in the temple, about which the LORD had said to David and to his son Solomon, "This temple in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will be my permanent home. |
| 8And I will not make Israel's feet to wander anymore from the land that I have given to their ancestors, if they will only be careful to do everything that I have commanded them according to the entire Law that my servant Moses commanded them." | 8I will not make Israel again leave the land I gave to their ancestors, provided that they carefully obey all I commanded them, the whole law my servant Moses ordered them to obey." |
| 9But they would not listen. Manasseh led them astray to practice more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed in the presence of the Israelis. | 9But they did not obey, and Manasseh misled them so that they sinned more than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed from before the Israelites. |
| 10So the LORD announced through his prophets, | 10So the LORD announced through his servants the prophets: |
| 11"Because King Manasseh of Judah has committed these despicable things, acting more sinfully than did all of the Amorites who preceded him, including making Judah sin with its idols, | 11"King Manasseh of Judah has committed horrible sins. He has sinned more than the Amorites before him and has encouraged Judah to sin by worshiping his disgusting idols. |
| 12therefore this is what the LORD God of Israel says: 'Look! I'm going to bring such a disaster to Jerusalem and Judah that both ears of those who hear about it will ring. | 12So this is what the LORD God of Israel says, 'I am about to bring disaster on Jerusalem and Judah. The news will reverberate in the ears of those who hear about it. |
| 13I'll stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line that is Samaria and the plumb line that is Ahab's dynasty. Then I'll wipe Jerusalem like one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down! | 13I will destroy Jerusalem the same way I did Samaria and the dynasty of Ahab. I will wipe Jerusalem clean, just as one wipes a plate on both sides. |
| 14I will abandon the survivors of my heritage and hand them over to their enemies. They will become war booty and spoil to all of their enemies, | 14I will abandon this last remaining tribe among my people and hand them over to their enemies; they will be plundered and robbed by all their enemies, |
| 15because they have done what I consider to be evil and they have provoked me from the day their ancestors left Egypt right up to this day!'" | 15because they have done evil in my sight and have angered me from the time their ancestors left Egypt right up to this very day!'" |
| 16In addition to this, Manasseh shed lots of innocent blood—until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another—besides his sin by which he caused Judah to sin by practicing what the LORD considered to be evil. | 16Furthermore Manasseh killed so many innocent people, he stained Jerusalem with their blood from end to end, in addition to encouraging Judah to sin by doing evil in the sight of the LORD. |
| 17The rest of Manasseh's deeds, including everything that he accomplished and the sin that he practiced, are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, are they not? | 17The rest of the events of Manasseh's reign and all his accomplishments, as well as the sinful acts he committed, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. |
| 18Manasseh died, as did his ancestors, and he was buried in the garden at his home in the Garden of Uzza. His son Amon became king in his place. | 18Manasseh passed away and was buried in his palace garden, the garden of Uzzah, and his son Amon replaced him as king. |
| 19Amon began to reign at the age of 22, and ruled for two years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. | 19Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for two years in Jerusalem. His mother was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz, from Jotbah. |
| 20He practiced what the LORD considered to be evil, just as his father Manasseh had done, | 20He did evil in the sight of the LORD, just like his father Manasseh had done. |
| 21because he completely adopted his father's lifestyle, serving the same idols his father had served and worshipped. | 21He followed in the footsteps of his father and worshiped and bowed down to the disgusting idols which his father had worshiped. |
| 22As a result, he abandoned the LORD God of his ancestors and did not walk in the LORD's way. | 22He abandoned the LORD God of his ancestors and did not follow the LORD's instructions. |
| 23Later on, Amon's staff conspired against him and killed the king inside his own home. | 23Amon's servants conspired against him and killed the king in his palace. |
| 24But afterward, the people of the land executed everyone who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land installed his son Josiah to be king in his place. | 24The people of the land executed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place. |
| 25Now the rest of Amon's activities that he undertook are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, are they not? | 25The rest of Amon's accomplishments are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. |
| 26He was buried in his own grave in the Garden of Uzza, and his son Josiah became king in his place. | 26He was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzzah, and his son Josiah replaced him as king. |
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