2 Chronicles, 33

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

1. Manasseh was twelve years old when he came to the throne and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem.

2. 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.

2. He did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and followed the disgusting practices of the nations that Yahweh had removed from the land before giving it to Israel,

3. 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.

3. He rebuilt the High places his father Hezekiah had wrecked; he set up altars to the Baals and made sacred trunks. He worshiped the whole array of heaven and served it.

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

4. He built altars in Yahweh's House of which Yahweh had said, "In Jerusalem shall my Name be forever."

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

5. He built altars to the whole array of heaven in the two courts of Yahweh's House.

6. 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.

6. He caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of Benhinnom. He practiced soothsaying, magic and witchcraft, and introduced necromancers and wizards. He did many things displeasing to Yahweh, thus provoking his anger.

7. 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:

7. He placed the idol he had made in the house of which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, "In this house and in Jerusalem, the city I chose out of all the tribes of Israel, I will give my Name a home forever.

8. 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.

8. I will no longer turn Israel's footsteps away from the land I assigned to their fathers, provided they observe all I have ordered them in accordance with the whole Law, the statutes and the ordinances, given through Moses."

9. 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.

9. Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than those nations Yahweh had destroyed before the sons of Israel.

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

10. Yahweh spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.

11. 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.

11. Then Yahweh sent the generals of the king of Assyria against them, who captured Manasseh with hooks, put him in chains and led him away to Babylon.

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

12. In his distress he sought to appease Yahweh his God. Humbling himself deeply before the God of his ancestors, he prayed to him,

13. 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.

13. and God changed his mind. Hearing his plea he allowed him to come back to Jerusalem and reign again. Manasseh realised then that Yahweh is God.

14. 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.

14. After that he rebuilt the outer wall of the Citadel of David, west of Gihon in the wadi, as far as the Fish Gate; it encircled the Ophel, and he increased its height very considerably. He stationed military governors in all the fortified towns of Judah.

15. 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.

15. He removed the alien gods and the idol from Yahweh's House and all the altars he had built on the mountain of Yahweh's House and in Jerusalem, and threw them out of the city.

16. 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.

16. He rebuilt the altar of Yahweh and offered peace offerings and praise offerings on it, and ordered Judah to serve Yahweh the God of Israel;

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

17. however, the people continued to sacrifice on the High places, although only to Yahweh their God.

18. 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.

18. The rest of the history of Manasseh, his prayer to God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of Yahweh the God of Israel, can be found in the Annals of the Kings of Israel.

19. His prayer also, and [how God] was intreated of him, and all his sin, 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.

19. His prayer and how God heard his prayer, all his sins, his unfaithfulness, the sites where he built High places and set up sacred trunks and idols before he humbled himself are recorded in the Annals of Hozai.

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

20. Then Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace. His son Amon succeeded him.

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

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

22. 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;

22. He did what is displeasing to Yahweh, as Manasseh his father had done. Amon offered sacrifice and worship to all the idols Manasseh his father had made,

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

23. but he did not humble himself before Yahweh like Manasseh his father had done; instead he made the guilt of Judah worse.

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

24. His officers plotted against him and killed him in his palace. But the people of the nation struck down all those who had plotted against King Amon and proclaimed his son Josiah as his successor.

25. 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.

25.