2 Chronicles 33

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem:

At the tender age of twelve, Manasseh ascended the throne, ruling over Jerusalem with a reign that spanned an impressive fifty-five years.

But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

But he did evil in God's eyes, following the detestable practices of the nations God had driven out before the children of Israel.

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

He rebuilt the sacred sites his father Hezekiah had destroyed. He erected altars for false gods, created idol groves, and bowed down to the celestial bodies, becoming their servant.

Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever.

He even built his own altars in God's house, the very place where God had declared, "My name will remain in Jerusalem forever."

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

He built altars to all the stars of heaven in the two courtyards of God's house.

And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

He sacrificed his children in the fire in the valley of Hinnom, and practiced fortune-telling, enchantments, and witchcraft. He consulted mediums and wizards, committing great evil in the Lord's sight and provoking Him to anger.

And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

He placed his self-made idol in God's house, a place God had promised to David and Solomon, his son, to be His eternal dwelling in Jerusalem, chosen above all of Israel's tribes.

Neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers; so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.

I will no longer uproot Israel from the land I promised their ancestors, as long as they follow my commands and laws given through Moses.

So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.

Manasseh led Judah and Jerusalem astray, causing them to act even worse than the nations God had previously wiped out for the Israelites.

And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.

The LORD reached out to Manasseh and his people, pleading with them. But they stubbornly ignored His voice.

Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

So the Lord brought the military leaders of the Assyrian king against them. They caught Manasseh among the thorns, shackled him in chains, and took him away to Babylon.

And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,

In his deepest sorrow, he cried out to God, his heart humbly bowing before the God of his ancestors.

And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.

He pleaded with God, who heard his heartfelt prayer and restored him to his throne in Jerusalem. It was then that Manasseh truly understood that the Lord is God.

Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.

After this, he passionately constructed a wall outside David's city, on Gihon's western side, in the valley, stretching to the Fish Gate. He encircled Ophel, elevating it to an impressive height, and strategically placed military leaders in all of Judah's fortified cities.

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

He removed all the false idols and altars from God's house and the city, ridding them of the symbols of misplaced worship with a heart full of determination.

And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.

He lovingly restored God's altar, offering sacrifices of peace and gratitude. He passionately urged Judah to devote themselves to serving the Lord, their God.

Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the LORD their God only.

Despite the people continuing to offer sacrifices at the high altars, their devotion was solely towards the LORD, their God.

Now 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 the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel.

Manasseh's remaining deeds, his heartfelt prayers to God, and the divine messages he received from God's prophets are all recorded in Israel's royal history.

His prayer also, and how God was intreated of him, and all his sins, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves and graven images, before he was humbled: behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers.

His prayer, and how God heard his plea, and all his sins and unfaithfulness, and the places where he built high places and set up sacred groves and idols before he learned humility, are recorded in the prophets' writings.

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

Manasseh joined his ancestors in eternal rest, laid to peace in his own home. His son, Amon, took his place as ruler.

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

Amon was just 22 when he ascended the throne, ruling over Jerusalem for a brief span of two years.

But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them;

Amon, like his father Manasseh, did wrong in God's eyes. He worshipped and served the idols his father had crafted, a sinful act that deeply displeased the Lord.

And humbled not himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.

Unlike his father Manasseh, who showed humility before God, Amon continued to defy the Lord, growing more and more rebellious.

And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.

His own servants, filled with treachery, plotted against him and tragically ended his life within the walls of his own home.

But 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.

The locals, filled with righteous anger, eliminated all who plotted against King Amon. Then, with hopeful hearts, they crowned Josiah, his son, as their new king.