2 Kings 21
21
Manasseh King of Judah
1Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king. And he was king 55 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2He did what the Lord said was wrong. He did the hated things the other nations had done. And the Lord had forced these nations out of the land ahead of the Israelites. 3Manasseh’s father, Hezekiah, had destroyed the places where false gods were worshiped. But Manasseh rebuilt them. He built altars for Baal. And he made an Asherah idol as Ahab king of Israel had done. Manasseh worshiped all the stars of heaven and served them. 4The Lord had said about the Temple, “I will be worshiped in Jerusalem.” But Manasseh built altars in the Temple of the Lord. 5He built altars to worship the stars in the two courtyards of the Temple of the Lord. 6He burned his own son as a sacrifice. He practiced magic and told the future by explaining signs and dreams. He got advice from mediums and fortune-tellers. He did many things that the Lord said were wrong. And this made the Lord angry.
7Manasseh carved an Asherah idol and put it in the Temple. The Lord had spoken to David and his son Solomon about the Temple. He had said, “I will be worshiped in this Temple and in Jerusalem forever. I have chosen Jerusalem from all the tribes of Israel. 8I will never again make the Israelites wander out of the land I gave their ancestors. But they must obey everything I have commanded them. And they must obey all the teachings my servant Moses gave them.” 9But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them to do wrong. They did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed ahead of the Israelites.
10The Lord spoke through his servants the prophets. He said, 11“Manasseh king of Judah has done these hated things. He has done more evil than the Amorites before him. Manasseh also has caused Judah to sin with his idols. 12So this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will bring much trouble on Jerusalem and Judah. Anyone who hears about it will be shocked. 13I will stretch the measuring line of Samaria over Jerusalem. And the plumb line used against Ahab’s family will be used on Jerusalem. I will wipe out Jerusalem as a man wipes a dish. He wipes it and turns it upside down. 14I will go away from the rest of my people who are left. I will give them to their enemies. They will be robbed by all their enemies. 15My people did what I said was wrong. They have made me angry from the day their ancestors left Egypt until now.’”
16Manasseh also killed many innocent people. He filled Jerusalem from one end to the other with their blood. This was besides the sin he caused Judah to do. He caused Judah to do what the Lord said was wrong.
17The other things Manasseh did as king are written down, even the sin he did. They are in the book of the history of the kings of Judah. 18Manasseh died and was buried in the garden of his own palace. It is the garden of Uzza. Then Manasseh’s son Amon became king in his place.
Amon King of Judah
19Amon was 22 years old when he became king. He was king for two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz. She was from Jotbah. 20Amon did what the Lord said was wrong. He did as his father Manasseh had done. 21Amon lived in the same way his father had lived. He worshiped the idols his father had worshiped. And he bowed down before them. 22Amon rejected the Lord, the God of his ancestors. He did not follow the ways of the Lord.
23Amon’s officers made plans against him and killed him in his palace. 24Then the people of Judah killed all those who had made plans to kill King Amon. And they made his son Josiah king in his place.
25Everything else Amon did is written down. It is in the book of the history of the kings of Judah. 26He was buried in his grave in the garden of Uzza. And his son Josiah became king in his place.
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2 Kings 21: ICB
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