Manasseh's wicked reign.

1 ¶ Manassehº [was] twelveºº yearsº oldº when he began to reign,ºª and he reignedºª fiftyº and fiveº yearsº in Jerusalem:º 2 But didºª [that which was] evilº in the sightº of the LORD,º like unto the abominationsº of the heathen,º whom² the LORDº had cast outºª beforeº² the childrenº of Israel.º

He setteth up idolatry, and would not be admonished.

3 ¶ For he builtºª againºª² the high placesº which² Hezekiahº his fatherº had broken down,ºª and he reared upºª altarsº for Baalim,º and madeºª groves,º and worshippedºª all² the hostº of heaven,º and servedºª them. 4 Also he builtºª altarsº in the houseº of the LORD,º whereof² the LORDº had said,ºª In Jerusalemº shall my nameº be² for ever.º 5 And he builtºª altarsº for all² the hostº of heavenº in the twoº courtsº of the houseº of the LORD.º 6 And he² caused¹ª² his childrenº to pass² through¹ª the fireº in the valleyº of the sonº of Hinnom:º also he observed times,ºª and used enchantments,ºª and used witchcraft,ºª and dealt¹ª with² a familiar spirit,º and with wizards:º he wroughtºª muchºª evilº in the sightº of the LORD,º to provoke him to anger.ºª 7 And he setºª² a carved image,º the idolº which² he had made,ºª in the houseº of God,º of which² Godº had saidºª to² Davidº and to² Solomonº his son,º In this² house,º and in Jerusalem,º which² I have chosenºª before all²² the tribesº of Israel,º will I putºª² my nameº for ever:º 8 Neither² will I any moreºª removeºª² the footº of Israelº from out¹ of²² the landº which² I have appointedºª for your fathers;º so thatº² they will take heedºª to doºª² all² that² I have commandedºª them, according to the whole² lawº and the statutesº and the ordinancesº by the handº of Moses.º 9 So Manassehº made¹ª² Judahº and the inhabitantsºª of Jerusalemº to err,ºª [and] to doºª worseº than² the heathen,º whom² the LORDº had destroyedºª beforeº² the childrenº of Israel.º 10 And the LORDº spakeºª to² Manasseh,º and to² his people:º but they would not² hearken.ºª

He is carried into Babylon.

11 ¶ Wherefore the LORDº broughtºª upon²² them the captains² of¹ the host ofº the kingº of Assyria,º which² tookºª² Manassehº among the thorns,º and bound² him¹ª with fetters,º and carried¹ª² him to Babylon.º

Upon his prayer to God he is released, and putteth down idolatry.

12 And when he was in affliction,ºª he besoughtºª² the LORDº² his God,º and humbled¹ª himself² greatlyº beforeº² the Godº of his fathers,º 13 And prayedºª unto² him: and he was intreatedºª of him, and heardºª his supplication,º and brought him againºª to Jerusalemº into his kingdom.º Then Manassehº knewºª that² the LORDº he² [was] God.º 14 Now after² this¹² he builtºª a wallº withoutº the cityº of David,º on the west sideº of Gihon,º in the valley,º even to the entering inºª at the fishº gate,º and compassed¹ª about² Ophel,º and raised it up¹ª a very great height,º² and putºª captainsº of warº in all² the fencedºª citiesº of Judah.º 15 And he took awayºª² the strangeº gods,º and the idolº out of the houseº² of the LORD,º and all² the altarsº that² he had builtºª in the mountº of the houseº of the LORD,º and in Jerusalem,º and castºª [them] out¹ of² the city.º 16 And he repairedºª² the altarº of the LORD,º and sacrificedºª thereon² peaceº offeringsº and thank offerings,º and commandedºª Judahº to serveºª² the LORDº Godº of Israel.º 17 Neverthelessº the peopleº did sacrificeºª still² in the high places,º [yet] unto the LORDº their Godº only.²

His acts.

18 ¶ Now the restº of the acts¹ of² Manasseh,º and his prayerº unto² his God,º and the wordsº of the seersº that spakeºª to² him in the nameº of the LORDº Godº of Israel,º behold,² they [are written] in² the bookº of the kingsº of Israel.º 19 His prayerº also, and [how God] was intreatedºª of him, and all² his sin,º and his trespass,º and the placesº wherein² he builtºª high places,º and set upºª grovesº and graven images,º beforeº he was humbled:ºª behold,² they [are] writtenºª among² the sayingsº of the seers.º¹ª

He dying, Amon succeedeth him.

20 ¶ So Manassehº sleptºª with² his fathers,º and they buriedºª him in his own house:º and Amonº his sonº reignedºª in his stead.²

Amon reigning wickedly is slain by his servants.

21 ¶ Amonº [was] twoº and twentyº yearsº oldº when he began to reign,ºª and reignedºª twoº yearsº in Jerusalem.º 22 But he didºª [that which was] evilº in the sightº of the LORD,º as² didºª Manassehº his father:º for Amonº sacrificedºª unto all² the carved imagesº which² Manassehº his fatherº had made,ºª and servedºª them; 23 And humbled¹ª not himself²² beforeº² the LORD,º as Manassehº his fatherº had humbled¹ª himself;² but² Amonº trespassedº more and more.ºª 24 And his servantsº conspiredºª against² him, and slewºª him in his own house.º

The murderers being slain, Josiah succeedeth him.

25 ¶ But the peopleº of the landº slewºª² all² them that had conspiredºª against² kingº Amon;º and the peopleº of the landº made¹ª Josiah¹ his son¹ kingºª²²² in his stead.²