1Manasseh's wicked reign and great idolatry. 10Rejecting God's admonitions, he is carried captive to Babylon, where he humbleth himself before God, and is restored to his kingdom. 14He fortifieth his dominions, and putteth down idolatry, restoring the worship of the true God. 18His acts and prayer: 20he dieth; Amon succeedeth him. 21Amon's wicked reign; he is slain by his servants. 25The people slay the murderers, and make Josiah king.
1MANASSEH was atwelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem:
a 2Ki. 21.1-9. Ec. 10.16. Is. 3.4,5,12. 1Ch. 3.13. Mat. 1.10.
2But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the babominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
b De. 18.9,10. Le. 18.3-28. ch. 28.2-4.
3¶For 1he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had cbroken down, and dhe reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.
1Heb. he returned and built, Ec. 2.19.
c 2Ki. 18.4; 21.3. ch. 31.1; 32.12. d De. 16.21. Je. 32.34,35. ch. 28.2-4.
4Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, eIn Jerusalem shall my name be for ever.
e De. 12.11. 1Ki. 8.29; 9.3. ch. 6.6; 7.10,16. 2Ki. 21.4. v.7.
5And he built faltars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
f ch. 28.2-4,24,25. Je. 2.28.
6And he gcaused his children to pass through the fire in hthe 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.
*familiar spirit-demon supposed to be in, or under the power of, a man.
g Le. 18.21. De. 18.10. 2Ki. 21.6; 23.10. Is. 8.19. Je. 7.31; 32.30-35. h Jos. 18.16.
7And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which iGod 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:
i 2Sa. 7.10. Ps. 132.13,14. 1Ki. 8.23. v.4.
8Neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers; jso 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.
j Le. 26.1-13. De. 28.1-14; 4.1,4. Is. 1.19.
9So Manasseh kmade 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.
k 2Ki. 21.9. Pr. 29.12. 1Ki. 14.16; 15.26; 16.19,25-33. Mi. 6.16.
10And lthe LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.
l 2Ki. 21.9-15. ch. 36.15,16. Je. 44.4,5.
11¶Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host 2of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh mamong the thorns, and nbound him with 3*fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
2Heb. which were the king's. Ne. 9.32. De. 28.36. Is. 5.26-30; 7.20.
3Or, chains.
*fetters-shackles, metal bands.
m 2Sa. 23.6. 1Sa. 13.6. n Ps. 107.10,11. Job 36.8. 2Ki. 23.33.
12And owhen he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,
o Mi. 6.9. Ho. 5.15; 14.1-3,8. Lu. 15.16-18. Je. 31.18-20; 3.23. 2Co. 7.11.
13And prayed unto him: and he pwas intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. qThen Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.
p Is. 1.18. 1Co. 6.11. Ps. 34.6; 50.15; 91.15. q Ps. 46.10. Da. 4.25,34.
14Now after this he rbuilt a wall *without the city of David, on the west side of sGihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the tfish gate, and *compassed about 4Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.
*without-outside.
*compassed about-surrounded.
4Or, the tower, ch. 27.3. Ne. 3.26,27,31; 11.21. 1Ch. 9.2.
r ch. 32.5; 11.5,11,12. s 1Ki. 1.33. t Ne. 3.3; 12.39. Zep. 1.10.
15And uhe 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.
*strange-foreign.
u Ho. 14.3,8. Is. 2.16-21. v.2-7. Ps. 119.67.
16And he vrepaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and wcommanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.
v 1Ki. 18.30. Le. 7.12. w ch. 14.4. v.9. Lu. 22.32. ch. 34.30-32. Ge. 18.19.
17Nevertheless xthe people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the LORD their God only.
x 1Ki. 15.14; 22.43. 2Ki. 12.3; 14.4; 15.4,35. ch. 32.12.
18¶Now ythe rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and zthe 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.
y ch. 32.32,33; 28.26,27; 27.7,9; 26.22,23; 28.26,27; 32.32,33. z De. 18.19. ch. 36.15. Je. 44.4. 2Sa. 24.11.
19His prayer also, and how God was intreated of him, and all his sin, and his *trespass, and athe 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 5the seers.
*trespass-sin, transgression.
5Or, Hosai, 1Sa. 9.9.
a v.3,7.
20¶So Manasseh bslept with his fathers, and they buried him cin his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his *stead.
*stead-place.
b ch. 9.31; 12.16; 16.13; 21.20; 25.28; 26.23; 28.27; 32.33. c 2Ki. 21.18.
21¶Amon was dtwo and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years in Jerusalem.
d 2Ki. 21.19-25. 1Ch. 3.14. Mat. 1.10.
22But he edid 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;
e v.2-9. Eze. 20.18. ch. 34.3,4,7.
23And fhumbled not himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon 6*trespassed more and more.
6Heb. multiplied trespass, 2Ti. 3.13. ch. 28.22. v.6.
*trespassed-sinned, transgressed.
f v.12. Je. 8.12. Zec. 7.11,12.
24And ghis servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.
g 2Sa. 4.5-7. 2Ki. 12.20,21. ch. 24.25; 25.27,28. Ps. 55.23. Job 15.32,33.
25¶But the people of the land hslew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his *stead.
*stead-place.
h Ju. 1.7. Mat. 7.2. Ge. 9.5,6. Nu. 35.16-21,31.