The Second Book of the Chronicles

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 33 -

(2 Kings 21:1–9)

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

And he did evil in the sight of the LORD by following the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.

For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down, and he raised up altars for the Baals and made Asherah poles. And he worshiped and served all the host of heaven.

Manasseh also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever.”

In both courtyards of the house of the LORD, he built altars to all the host of heaven.

He sacrificed his sons in the fire (a) in the Valley of Hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.

Manasseh even took the carved image he had made and set it up in the house of God, of which 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 establish My Name forever.

I will never again cause the feet of the Israelites to leave the land that I assigned to your fathers, if only they are careful to do all that I have commanded them through Moses—all the laws, statutes, and judgments.”

So Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem astray, so that they did greater evil than the nations that the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites.

Manasseh’s Repentance and Restoration

(2 Kings 21:10–18)

And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they did not listen.

So the LORD brought against them the military commanders of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.

And in his distress, Manasseh sought the favor of the LORD his God and earnestly humbled himself before the God of his fathers.

And when he prayed to Him, the LORD received his plea and heard his petition; so He brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God.

After this, Manasseh rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David from west of Gihon in the valley to the entrance of the Fish Gate, and he brought it around the hill of Ophel and heightened it considerably. He also stationed military commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah.

He removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, along with all the altars he had built on the temple mount

(b)

and in Jerusalem, and he dumped them outside the city.

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

Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the LORD their God.

As for the rest of the acts of Manasseh, along with his prayer to his God and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, they are indeed written in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.(c)

His prayer and how God received his plea, as well as all his sin and unfaithfulness, and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself, they are indeed written in the Records of the Seers.(d)

And Manasseh rested with his fathers and was buried at his palace. And his son Amon reigned in his place.

Amon Reigns in Judah

(2 Kings 21:19–26)

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

And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done. Amon served and sacrificed to all the idols that his father Manasseh had made,

but he did not humble himself before the LORD as his father Manasseh had done; instead, Amon increased his guilt.

Then the servants of Amon conspired against him and killed him in his palace.

But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place.

Footnotes

(a)33:6 Literally made his sons pass through the fire

(b)33:15 Literally the mountain of the house of the LORD

(d)33:19 Or the Records of the Hozai or the Annals of the Prophets

(2 Kings 21:1–9)

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

He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, after the abominations of the nations whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; and he raised up altars for the Baals, made Asheroth, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served them.

He built altars in the LORD’s house, of which the LORD said, “My name shall be in Jerusalem forever.”

He built altars for all the army of the sky in the two courts of the LORD’s house.

He also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and dealt with those who had familiar spirits and with wizards. He did much evil in the LORD’s sight, to provoke him to anger.

He set the engraved image of the idol, which he had made, in God’s house, 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, I will put my name forever.

I will not 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, the statutes, and the ordinances given by Moses.”

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

Manasseh’s Repentance and Restoration

(2 Kings 21:10–18)

The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they didn’t listen.

Therefore the LORD brought on them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

When he was in distress, he begged the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.

He prayed to him; and he was entreated by him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.

Now after this, he built an outer wall to David’s city on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance at the fish gate. He encircled Ophel with it, and raised it up to a very great height; and he put valiant captains in all the fortified cities of Judah.

He took away the foreign gods and the idol out of the LORD’s house, and all the altars that he had built in the mountain of the LORD’s house and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.

He built up the LORD’s altar, and offered sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving on it, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel.

Nevertheless the people still sacrificed in the high places, but only to the LORD their God.

Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, behold, they are written among the acts of the kings of Israel.

His prayer also, and how God listened to his request, and all his sin and his trespass, and the places in which he built high places and set up the Asherah poles and the engraved images before he humbled himself: behold, they are written in the history of Hozai.(a)

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

Amon Reigns in Judah

(2 Kings 21:19–26)

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

He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, as did Manasseh his father; and Amon sacrificed to all the engraved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them.

He didn’t humble himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but this same Amon trespassed more and more.

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

But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place.

Footnotes

(a)33:19 or, the seers