New International Version | International Standard Version |
1Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. | 1Manasseh began to reign at the age of twelve years, and continued to reign for 55 years in Jerusalem. |
2He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. | 2But he practiced what the LORD considered to be evil by behaving detestably, as did the nations whom the LORD expelled in front of the Israelis. |
3He 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. | 3He re-established the high places that his father Hezekiah had demolished, he built altars to the Baals, erected Asherim, and worshipped and served the armies of heaven. |
4He built altars in the temple of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever." | 4He also built altars in the LORD's Temple, about which the LORD had spoken "My name will reside in Jerusalem forever." |
5In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts. | 5He built altars for all the armies of heaven in the two courtyards of the LORD's Temple. |
6He 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. | 6He burned his sons as an offering in the Ben-hinnom Valley, practiced fortune-telling, witchcraft, sorcery, and communicated with mediums and separatists. He did a lot of things that the LORD considered to be evil, thus provoking him. |
7He 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. | 7He also placed an image that he had carved in God's Temple, the place about which God had told to David and to his son Solomon, "I will place my name in this Temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel," |
8I 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." | 8and "I won't let Israel's foothold slip on the land that I've given to your ancestors, if only they will be careful to keep everything that I commanded them in the Law, in the statutes, and in the ordinance through Moses." |
9But 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. | 9This is how Manasseh deceived Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to practice more evil than the nations whom the LORD had eliminated in front of the Israelis. |
10The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. | 10The LORD kept on speaking to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention to him, |
11So 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. | 11so the LORD brought in the army commanders who worked for the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him in bronze chains, and took him off to Babylon. |
12In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. | 12But when he was in trouble, he sought the face of the LORD his God, humbled himself magnificently before the God of his ancestors, |
13And 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. | 13and prayed to him. Moved by Manasseh's entreaties, the LORD heard his supplications and brought him back to his kingdom in Jerusalem. That's how Manasseh learned that the LORD is God. |
14Afterward 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. | 14Later on, Manasseh reinforced the outer wall to the City of David on the west side overlooking the Gihon Valley as far as the Fish Gate. He encircled the Ophel, raising it to a great height. |
15He 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. | 15He also eliminated the foreign gods and idols from the LORD's Temple, along with all of the altars that he had built in Jerusalem and on the mountain where the LORD's Temple was located, and he discarded them outside the city. |
16Then 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. | 16He set up an altar to the LORD, sacrificed peace offerings on it, and ordered Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel. |
17The people, however, continued to sacrifice at the high places, but only to the LORD their God. | 17Even so, the people continued to sacrifice in the high places, but only to the LORD their God. |
18The 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. | 18Now as to the rest of Manasseh's accomplishments, including his prayer to God and what the seers had to say to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, they are included among the Acts of the Kings of Israel. |
19His 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. | 19His prayer, how God was moved by him, all of his sin and unfaithfulness, and a record of the sites where he constructed high places, erected Asherim and carved images before he humbled himself are written in the Acts of the Seers. |
20Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace. And Amon his son succeeded him as king. | 20So Manasseh died, as had his ancestors, and they buried him in his own palace while his son Amon became king in his place. |
21Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. | 21Amon was 22 years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. |
22He 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. | 22He practiced what the LORD considered to be evil, just as his father Manasseh had done, sacrificing to and serving all the carved images that his father Manasseh had made, |
23But unlike his father Manasseh, he did not humble himself before the LORD; Amon increased his guilt. | 23except that he never humbled himself to the LORD like his father Manasseh had done. In fact, Amon multiplied his own guilt |
24Amon's officials conspired against him and assassinated him in his palace. | 24until his servants finally conspired against him and executed him in his own palace. |
25Then the people of the land killed all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah his son king in his place. | 25But the people of the land executed all of the conspirators against King Amon and installed his son Josiah as king to succeed him. |
New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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