Manasseh Reigns in Judah (2 Kings 21:1–9)
1 Brenton Manasses was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. BSB BSB: Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years.
2 Brenton And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord destroyed from before the face of the children of Israel. BSB BSB: 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.
3 Brenton And he returned and built the high places, which his father Ezekias had pulled down, and set up images to Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. BSB BSB: 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.
4 Brenton And he built altars in the house of the Lord, concerning which the Lord said, In Jerusalem shall be my name for ever. BSB BSB: Manasseh also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever.”
5 Brenton And he built altars to all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. BSB BSB: In both courtyards of the house of the LORD, he built altars to all the host of heaven.
6 Brenton He also passed his children through the fire in the valley of Benennom; and he divined, and used auspices, and sorceries, and appointed those who had divining spirits, and enchanters, and wrought abundant wickedness before the Lord, to provoke him. BSB BSB: He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben-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.
7 Brenton And he set the graven image , the molten statue , the idol which he made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name for ever; BSB BSB: 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.
8 Brenton and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I gave to their fathers, if only they will take heed to do all things which I have commanded them, according to all the law and the ordinances and the judgments given by the hand of Moses. BSB BSB: 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.”
9 Brenton So Manasses led astray Juda and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to do evil beyond all the nations which the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel. BSB BSB: 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)
10 Brenton And the Lord spoke to Manasses, and to his people: but they hearkened not. BSB BSB: And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they did not listen.
12 Brenton And when he was afflicted, he sought the face of the Lord his God, and was greatly humbled before the face of the God of his fathers; BSB BSB: And in his distress, Manasseh sought the favor of the LORD his God and earnestly humbled himself before the God of his fathers.
13 Brenton and he prayed to him: and he hearkened to him, and listened to his cry, and brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom: and Manasses knew that the Lord he is God. BSB BSB: 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.
14 Brenton And afterward he built a wall without the city of David, from the southwest southward in the valleys and at the entrance through the fish-gate, as men go out by the gate round about, even as far as Opel; and he raised it much, and set captains of the host in all the fortified cities in Juda. BSB BSB: 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.
15 Brenton And he removed the strange gods and the graven image out of the house of the Lord, and all the altars which he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord, and in Jerusalem, and without the city. BSB BSB: 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 and in Jerusalem, and he dumped them outside the city.
16 Brenton And he repaired the altar of the Lord, and offered upon it a sacrifice of peace-offering and thank-offering, and he told Juda to serve the Lord God of Israel. BSB BSB: 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.
17 Brenton Nevertheless the people still sacrificed on the high places, only to the Lord their God. BSB BSB: Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the LORD their God.
18 Brenton And the rest of the acts of Manasses, and his prayer to God, and the words of the seers that spoke to him in the name of the God of Israel, BSB BSB: 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.
19 Brenton behold, they are in the account of his prayer; and God hearkened to him. And all his sins, and his backslidings, and the spots on which he built the high places, and set there groves and graven images, before he repented, behold, they are written in the books of the seers. BSB BSB: 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.
20 Brenton And Manasses slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the garden of his house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead. BSB BSB: 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)
21 Brenton Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. BSB BSB: Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years.
22 Brenton And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasses did: and Amon sacrificed to all the idols which his father Manasses had made, and served them. BSB BSB: 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,
23 Brenton And he was not humbled before the Lord as his father Manasses was humbled; for his son Amon abounded in transgression. BSB BSB: but he did not humble himself before the LORD as his father Manasseh had done; instead, Amon increased his guilt.
24 Brenton And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his house. BSB BSB: Then the servants of Amon conspired against him and killed him in his palace.
25 Brenton And the people of the land slew the men who had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josias his son king in his stead. BSB BSB: 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.
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