2 Chronicles 33

1Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem.

1Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for fifty-five years.

2And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, after the abominations of the nations whom Jehovah cast out before the children of Israel.

2He did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, following the disgusting practices of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the people of Israel.

3For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; and he reared up altars for the Baalim, and made Asheroth, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.

3He rebuilt the hilltop shrines that his father Hezekiah had broken down. He built altars for the Baals, made Asherah poles, and worshiped and served all the stars of heaven.

4And he built altars in the house of Jehovah, whereof Jehovah said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever.

4He even built pagan altars in the Temple of the LORD, the very place where the LORD had said, "My name will remain in Jerusalem forever."

5And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of Jehovah.

5In the two courtyards of the LORD’s Temple, he built altars for all the stars of heaven.

6He also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom; and he practised augury, and used enchantments, and practised sorcery, and dealt with them that had familiar spirits, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger.

6He sacrificed his own children in the fire in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom. He practiced fortune-telling, magic, and witchcraft, and consulted with mediums and psychics. He did much evil in the LORD’s sight, making him very angry.

7And he set the graven 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 for ever:

7Manasseh even took a carved idol he had made and set it up in God’s Temple, the place where God had said to David and 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."

8neither 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.

8"I will never again kick the Israelites out of the land I gave to their ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them—all the laws, requirements, and rules given through Moses."

9And Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did evil more than did the nations whom Jehovah destroyed before the children of Israel.

9But Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the pagan nations the LORD had destroyed when the Israelites entered the land.

10And Jehovah spake to Manasseh, and to his people; but they gave no heed.

10The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they refused to listen.

11Wherefore Jehovah brought upon 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.

11So the LORD sent the commanders of the Assyrian king's army against them. They captured Manasseh, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze chains, and took him away to Babylon.

12And when he was in distress, he besought Jehovah his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.

12While he was in deep trouble, he begged the LORD his God for help and truly humbled himself before the God of his ancestors.

13And he prayed unto him; and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Jehovah he was God.

13When he prayed, the LORD was moved by his plea and listened to his request. The LORD brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh realized that the LORD is the only true God.

14Now 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.

14After this, Manasseh rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David. It ran west of the Gihon spring in the valley to the entrance of the Fish Gate and around the hill of Ophel, and he made the wall very high. He also placed military commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah.

15And he took away the foreign gods, and the idol out of the house of Jehovah, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of Jehovah, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.

15He removed the foreign gods and the idol from the LORD’s Temple. He also took all the altars he had built on the Temple hill and in Jerusalem and threw them outside the city.

16And he built up the altar of Jehovah, and offered thereon sacrifices of peace-offerings and of thanksgiving, and commanded Judah to serve Jehovah, the God of Israel.

16Then he restored the altar of the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it. He commanded the people of Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel.

17Nevertheless the people sacrificed still in the high places, but only unto Jehovah their God.

17However, the people continued to sacrifice at the hilltop shrines, though they only sacrificed to the LORD their God.

18Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers that spake to him in the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel, behold, they are written among the acts of the kings of Israel.

18The rest of the events of Manasseh’s reign, his prayer to his God, and the words the seers spoke to him in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel.

19His prayer also, and how God was entreated of him, and all his sin and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up the Asherim and the graven images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the history of Hozai.

19His prayer and how God answered him, all his sins and unfaithfulness, and the specific sites where he built hilltop shrines and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself—all these are written in the Record of the Seers.

20So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

20When Manasseh died, he was buried at his palace. His son Amon became the next king.

21Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem.

21Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for two years.

22And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, as did Manasseh his father; and Amon sacrificed unto all the graven images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them.

22He did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, just as his father Manasseh had done. Amon worshiped and sacrificed to all the carved idols that his father Manasseh had made.

23And he humbled not himself before Jehovah, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but this same Amon trespassed more and more.

23But unlike his father Manasseh, Amon did not humble himself before the LORD. Instead, Amon became more and more guilty.

24And his servants conspired against him, and put him to death in his own house.

24Finally, Amon’s own officials plotted against him and murdered him in his palace.

25But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.

25But the people of the land killed everyone who had plotted against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place.