2 Chronicles 33
Manasseh, who became king at 12 years old, reigned for 55 years in Jerusalem and initially did evil in the Lord's sight, repairing high places, constructing altars to Baals, and serving the entire army of heaven. He also caused his sons to pass through fire and worked many evils, provoking the Lord. However, after being captured by the Assyrians and praying to the Lord, Manasseh repented and was returned to Jerusalem, where he removed foreign gods and idols, repaired the altar of the Lord, and instructed Judah to serve the Lord. Manasseh's son Amon succeeded him but did evil in the Lord's sight and was eventually killed by his servants, leading to the appointment of his son Josiah as king.
1Manasseh was twelve years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem2But he did evil before the Lord, in accord with all the abominations of the nations which the Lord overturned before the sons of Israel3And turning away, he repaired the high places, which had been demolished by his father, Hezekiah. And he constructed altars to the Baals, and made sacred groves. And he adored the entire army of heaven, and he served them4Also, he built altars in the house of the Lord, about which the Lord had said, "My name shall be in Jerusalem forever.5But he built these for the entire army of heaven, in the two courts of the house of the Lord6And he caused his sons to pass through fire in the Valley of the son of Hinnom. He observed dreams, followed divinations, served the occult arts, had with him magicians and enchanters, and worked many evils before the Lord, so that he provoked him7Also, he set up a graven image and molten statue in the house of God, about which God said to David, and to his son Solomon: "In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will place my name forever8And I will not cause the foot of Israel to be moved from the land which I delivered to their fathers. Yet this is so, only if they will take care to do what I have instructed them, by the hand of Moses, with the entire law and the ceremonies and the judgments.9And so Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did evil, more so than all the nations which the Lord had overturned before the face of the sons of Israel10And the Lord spoke to him and to his people, but they were not willing to pay attention11Therefore, he led over them the leaders of the army of the king of the Assyrians. And they captured Manasseh, and they led him, bound with chains and fetters, to Babylon12And after this, being in great anguish, he prayed to the Lord his God. And he did penance greatly before the God of his fathers13And he petitioned and begged him intently. And he heeded his prayer, and led him back to Jerusalem, into his kingdom. And Manasseh realized that the Lord himself was God14After these things, he built a wall outside the City of David, to the west of Gihon, at the steep valley, from the entrance to the fish gate, circling around as far as Ophel. And he raised it up greatly. And he appointed leaders of the army in all the fortified cities of Judah15And he took away the foreign gods, and the idol from the house of the Lord, and also the altars which he had made on the mount of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem. And he cast all these things outside the city16Then he repaired the altar of the Lord, and he immolated upon it victims, and peace offerings, with praise. And he instructed Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel17Yet still the people were immolating on the high places, to the Lord their God18But the rest of the deeds of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and also the words of the seers who were speaking to him in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, are contained in the words of the kings of Israel19Also, his prayer and its heeding, and all his sins and contempt, and the sites on which he built high places and made sacred groves and statues, before he repented, have been written in the words of Hozai20Then Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. And his son, Amon, reigned in his place21Amon was twenty-two years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for two years in Jerusalem22And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his father Manasseh had done. And he immolated to all the idols that Manasseh had fabricated, and he served them23But he did not turn his face to the Lord, as his father Manasseh had turned himself. And he sinned much more grievously24And when his servants had conspired against him, they killed him in his own house25But the rest of the multitude of the people, having slain those who had struck down Amon, appointed his son, Josiah, as king in his place
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