2 Kings, 21

1. Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah.

1. Manasseh was twelve years old when he came to the throne and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah.

2. He did evil in the sight of the LORD, following the abominable practices of the nations whom the LORD had cleared out of the way of the Israelites.

2. He did what is displeasing to Yahweh, copying the disgusting practices of the nations whom Yahweh had dispossessed for the Israelites.

3. He rebuilt the high places which his father Hezekiah had destroyed. He erected altars to Baal, and also set up a sacred pole, as Ahab, king of Israel, had done. He worshiped and served the whole host of heaven.

3. He rebuilt the high places which his father Hezekiah had destroyed, he set up altars to Baal and made a sacred pole as Ahab king of Israel had done, he worshipped the whole array of heaven and served it.

4. He built altars in the temple of the LORD, about which the LORD had said, "I will establish my name in Jerusalem"--

4. He built altars in the Temple of Yahweh of which Yahweh had said, 'Jerusalem is where I shall put my name.'

5. altars for the whole host of heaven, in the two courts of the temple.

5. He built altars to the whole array of heaven in the two courts of the Temple of Yahweh.

6. He immolated his son by fire. He practiced soothsaying and divination, and reintroduced the consulting of ghosts and spirits. He did much evil in the LORD'S sight and provoked him to anger.

6. He caused his son to pass through the fire of sacrifice, he also practised soothsaying and divination and set up mediums and spirit guides. He did very many more things displeasing to Yahweh, thus provoking his anger.

7. The Asherah idol he had made, he set up in the temple, of which the LORD 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 shall place my name forever.

7. He had an image of Asherah carved and placed it inside the Temple of which Yahweh had said to David and his son Solomon, 'In this Temple and in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I shall put my Name for ever.

8. I will not in future allow Israel to be driven off the land I gave their fathers, provided that they are careful to observe all I have commanded them, the entire law which my servant Moses enjoined upon them."

8. Nor shall I ever again set Israel's footsteps wandering outside the country which I gave to their ancestors, provided they are careful to observe all I have commanded them as laid down in the whole Law which my servant Moses prescribed for them.'

9. But they did not listen, and Manasseh misled them into doing even greater evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed at the coming of the Israelites.

9. But they would not listen, and Manasseh misled them into doing worse things than the nations whom Yahweh had destroyed for the Israelites.

10. Then the LORD spoke through his servants the prophets:

10. Then Yahweh spoke through his servants the prophets as follows,

11. "Because Manasseh, king of Judah, has practiced these abominations and has done greater evil than all that was done by the Amorites before him, and has led Judah into sin by his idols,

11. 'Since Manasseh king of Judah has done these shameful deeds, doing more wicked deeds than anything which the Amorites did before him, and has led Judah too into sin with his idols,

12. therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: 'I will bring such evil on Jerusalem and Judah that, whenever anyone hears of it, his ears shall ring.

12. Yahweh, God of Israel, says this, "Look, I shall bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah as will make the ears of all who hear of it tingle.

13. I will measure Jerusalem with the same cord as I did Samaria, and with the plummet I used for the house of Ahab. I will wipe Jerusalem clean as one wipes a dish, wiping it inside and out.

13. Over Jerusalem I shall stretch the same measuring line as over Samaria, the same plumb-rule as for the House of Ahab; I shall scour Jerusalem as someone scours a dish and, having scoured it, turns it upside down.

14. I will cast off the survivors of my inheritance and deliver them into enemy hands, to become a prey and a booty for all their enemies,

14. I shall cast away the remnant of my heritage, delivering them into the clutches of their enemies and making them the prey and booty of all their enemies,

15. because they have done evil in my sight and provoked me from the day their fathers came forth from Egypt until today.'"

15. because they have done what is displeasing to me and have provoked my anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until now." '

16. In addition to the sin which he caused Judah to commit, Manasseh did evil in the sight of the LORD, shedding so much innocent blood as to fill the length and breadth of Jerusalem.

16. Manasseh shed innocent blood, too, in such great quantity that he flooded Jerusalem from one end to the other, besides the sins into which he led Judah by doing what is displeasing to Yahweh.

17. The rest of the acts of Manasseh, the sin he committed and all that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah.

17. The rest of the history of Manasseh, his entire career, the sins he committed, is this not recorded in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah?

18. Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace garden, the garden of Uzza. His son Amon succeeded him as king.

18. Then Manasseh fell asleep with his ancestors and was buried in the garden of his palace, the Garden of Uzza; his son Amon succeeded him.

19. Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Meshullemeth, daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.

19. Amon was twenty-two years old when he came to the throne, and he reigned for two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz, of Jotbah.

20. He did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done.

20. He did what is displeasing to Yahweh, as Manasseh his father had done.

21. He followed exactly the path his father had trod, serving and worshiping the idols his father had served.

21. In every respect he followed the example of his father, serving the idols which his father had served, and worshipping them.

22. He abandoned the LORD, the God of his fathers, and did not follow the path of the LORD.

22. He abandoned Yahweh, God of his ancestors; he did not follow the way of Yahweh.

23. Subjects of Amon conspired against him and slew the king in his palace,

23. Amon's retinue plotted against the king and killed him in his own palace.

24. but the people of the land then slew all who had conspired against King Amon, and proclaimed his son Josiah king in his stead.

24. The people of the country, however, slaughtered all those who had plotted against King Amon and proclaimed his son Josiah as his successor.

25. The rest of the acts that Amon did are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah.

25. The rest of the history of Amon, his entire career, is this not recorded in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah?

26. He was buried in his own grave in the garden of Uzza, and his son Josiah succeeded him as king.

26. He was buried in his father's tomb in the Garden of Uzza; his son Josiah succeeded him.