Manasseh Reigns in Judah (2 Kings 21:1–9)
1 UEB Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; 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 UEB He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, like the disgusting things of the nations whom Yahweh had driven out before the people 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 UEB For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down, and he built altars for the Baals, he made Asherah poles, and he bowed down to all the stars of heaven and worshiped 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 UEB Manasseh built altars in the house of Yahweh, although Yahweh had commanded, "It is in Jerusalem that my name will be forever." 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 UEB He built altars for all the stars of heaven in the two courtyards of the house of Yahweh. BSB BSB: In both courtyards of the house of the LORD, he built altars to all the host of heaven.
6 UEB In the Valley of Ben Hinnom he caused his sons to pass through the fire. He practiced sorcery, divination and he read omens, and he consulted with those who talked with the dead and with those who talked with spirits. Manasseh did much evil in the sight of Yahweh, and he provoked him to anger. 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 UEB The carved figure he had made, he placed it in the house of God. It was about this house that God had spoken to David and Solomon his son; he had said, "It is in this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, that I will put my name forever. 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 UEB I will not move the people of Israel any more out of the land that I assigned to their ancestors, if they will only be careful to keep all that I have commanded them, following all the law, statutes, and decrees which I gave them through 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 UEB Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do evil even more than the nations that Yahweh had destroyed before the people 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 UEB Yahweh spoke to Manasseh, and to his people, but they paid no attention. BSB BSB: And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they did not listen.
12 UEB When Manasseh was in distress, he implored Yahweh, his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. 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 UEB He prayed to him; and God was begged by him, and God heard his begging and brought him back to Jerusalem, into his kingship. Then Manasseh knew that Yahweh was 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 UEB After this, Manasseh built an outer wall to the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, to the entrance at the Fish Gate. He surrounded the hill of Ophel with it and raised the wall up to a very great height. He put courageous commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah. 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 UEB He took away the foreign gods, the idol out of the house of Yahweh, and all the altars that he had built on the mount of the house of Yahweh and in Jerusalem, and threw them out of 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 UEB He rebuilt the altar of Yahweh and offered on it sacrifices of fellowship offerings and thank offerings; he commanded Judah to serve Yahweh, the 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 UEB However, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to Yahweh, their God. BSB BSB: Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the LORD their God.
18 UEB As to the other matters concerning Manasseh, his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, behold, they are written among the deeds of the kings 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 UEB In that account there is history of his prayer, and how God was moved by it. There is also an account of all his sin and his trespasses, and the places where he had built high places and set up the Asherah poles and the carved figures, before he humbled himself—they are written about in the Chronicles 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 UEB So Manasseh slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in his own house. Amon, his son, became king in his place. 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 UEB Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; 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 UEB He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, as Manasseh, his father, had done. Amon sacrificed to all the carved figures that Manasseh his father had made, and he worshiped 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 UEB He did not humble himself before Yahweh, as Manasseh his father had done. Instead, this same Amon trespassed more and more. BSB BSB: but he did not humble himself before the LORD as his father Manasseh had done; instead, Amon increased his guilt.
24 UEB His servants conspired against him and put him to death in his own house. BSB BSB: Then the servants of Amon conspired against him and killed him in his palace.
25 UEB But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and they made Josiah, his son, king in his place. 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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