1Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign in Judah, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. 2And he did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD, like the detestable practices of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 3For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah, his father, had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made an idol, as had Ahab, king of Israel; and worshipped and served all the host of heaven. 4And he built altars in the Temple of the LORD, of which the LORD said, “In Jerusalem will I put My name.” 5And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the Temple of the LORD. 6And he made his son pass through the fire (as a burnt offering to Molech); he observed times, used enchantments, dealt with mediums and wizards; he did much wickedness in the eyes of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger. 7And he set a carved image of the idol that he had made in the Temple, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon, his son, “In this Temple, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put My name forever; 8Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant, Moses, gave them.” 9But they did not listen; and Manasseh induced them to do more evil than the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 10And the LORD said by His servants, the prophets, 11“Because Manasseh, king of Judah, has done these abominations, and has acted more wickedly than the Amorites ever did, who were here before him; and has also caused Judah to sin with his idols; 12Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Behold, I will bring such disaster upon Jerusalem and Judah, that both ears of whoever hears of it shall tingle. 13And I will stretch the measuring line over Jerusalem that was used for Samaria, and the plumb line that was used for the house of Ahab; and I will wipe Jerusalem like you wipe a dish - wiping it, and turning it upside down. 14And I will forsake the remnant of My inheritance, and hand them over to their enemies; and they shall be looted and spoiled by all their enemies, 15Because they have done what was evil in My sight, and have provoked Me to anger, ever since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.’” 16Moreover, Manasseh shed so much innocent blood that he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin by which he caused Judah to commit, doing what was evil in the eyes of the LORD. 17Now the rest of the evil that Manasseh did, all the sins that he committed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 18And Manasseh died, and was buried in the garden of his own house, the garden of Uzza; and then Amon, his son, reigned in his stead. 19Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Meshullemeth, daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. 20And he also did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD, as Manasseh had. 21He followed all the ways of his father, serving and worshipping the same idols as his father; 22And he forsook the LORD God of his fathers, and spurned the way of the LORD. 23And then the officials of Amon conspired against and killed King Amon in his own house. 24Then the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against Amon; and they made Josiah, his son, king in his stead. 25Now the rest of what Amon did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 26And he was buried in the garden of Uzza; and Josiah, his, son reigned in his stead. Reader-Friendly Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2024 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |