2 Kings, 21

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.

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

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

2. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominable practices of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel.

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.

3. For he rebuilt the high places which Hezeki'ah his father had destroyed; and he erected altars for Ba'al, and made an Ashe'rah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served them.

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

4. And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem will I put my name."

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

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

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.

6. And he burned his son as an offering, and practiced soothsaying and augury, and dealt with mediums and with wizards. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.

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.

7. And the graven image of Ashe'rah that he had made he set in the house of which the LORD 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 for ever;

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.'

8. and I will not cause the feet of Israel to wander any more out of the land which I gave to their fathers, if only they will be careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them."

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

9. But they did not listen, and Manas'seh seduced them to do more evil than the nations had done whom the LORD destroyed before the people of Israel.

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

10. And the LORD said by his servants the prophets,

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,

11. "Because Manas'seh king of Judah has committed these abominations, and has done things more wicked than all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and has made Judah also to sin with his idols;

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.

12. therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such evil that the ears of every one who hears of it will tingle.

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.

13. And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Sama'ria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab; and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.

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,

14. And I will cast off the remnant of my heritage, and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies,

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." '

15. because they have done what is evil in my sight and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day."

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.

16. Moreover Manas'seh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin which he made Judah to sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.

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?

17. Now the rest of the acts of Manas'seh, and all that he did, and the sin that he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

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.

18. And Manas'seh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his house, in the garden of Uzza; and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

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.

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

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

20. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as Manas'seh his father had done.

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

21. He walked in all the way in which his father walked, and served the idols that his father served, and worshiped them;

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

22. he forsook the LORD, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the LORD.

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

23. And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and killed the king in his house.

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

24. But the people of the land slew all those who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josi'ah his son king in his stead.

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?

25. Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

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

26. And he was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza; and Josi'ah his son reigned in his stead.