2 Chronicles

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem:

1Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for fifty-five years.

2But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

2He did what the LORD said was wrong. He copied the awful things done by the nations God had pushed out of the land for Israel.

3For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.

3His father Hezekiah had torn down the worship spots on the hills. Manasseh built them again. He set up altars for the false gods called Baals. He made Asherah poles, which were wooden poles used to worship a false goddess. He bowed down to the sun, moon, and stars, and served them.

NoteThe KJV says "groves." These were not really groves of trees but wooden poles set up to worship a goddess named Asherah.

4Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever.

4He even built altars inside the LORD's temple. But the LORD had said about that place, "My name will stay in Jerusalem forever."

5And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.

5In both courtyards of the temple, he built altars to the sun, moon, and stars.

6And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the 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.

6He burned his own sons in the fire in the Valley of Hinnom. He used magic and tried to read signs to tell the future. He asked spirits of the dead for answers. He did much evil, and this made the LORD angry.

NoteThe KJV says his children "pass through the fire." This means they were burned as offerings to a false god.

7And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God 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:

7Manasseh took the statue he had carved and put it in God's temple. God had said to David and to his son Solomon about that place, "I picked this temple and this city, Jerusalem, out of all the tribes of Israel. My name will stay here forever.

8Neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers; so 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.

8I will never again make the people of Israel leave the land I gave their fathers. But they must carefully obey everything I told them through Moses: all the laws and rules."

9So Manasseh made 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.

9So Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem the wrong way. They did worse things than the nations God had destroyed before Israel came.

10And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.

10The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people. But they would not listen.

11Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

11So the LORD brought the army leaders of the king of Assyria against them. They caught Manasseh and put a hook in his nose. They tied him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon.

12And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,

12While he was in trouble, Manasseh begged the LORD his God for help. He bowed himself low before the God his fathers had served.

13And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.

13He prayed, and God listened to him and heard him ask for help. God brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God.

14Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.

14After this, Manasseh rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David. It ran from west of the Gihon spring in the valley to the Fish Gate. It went around the hill called Ophel, and he made it much taller. He also put army leaders in every strong, walled city of Judah.

15And he 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.

15He got rid of the foreign gods and took the statue out of the LORD's temple. He also removed all the altars he had built on the temple hill and in Jerusalem. He threw them all outside the city.

16And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.

16He fixed up the LORD's altar again. On it he gave peace offerings and thank offerings, which were gifts to show friendship and say thank you. He told the people of Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel.

17Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the LORD their God only.

17Even so, the people still gave offerings at the worship spots on the hills. But now they gave them only to the LORD their God.

18Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the 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.

18The other things Manasseh did are written down. So is his prayer to his God. So are the words that seers spoke to him from the LORD, the God of Israel. Seers were people who told others what God said. All this is in the book of the kings of Israel.

19His prayer also, and how God was intreated of him, and all his sins, and his trespass, and the 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 the seers.

19His prayer is written down too, and how God listened to him. So are all his sins and the wrong things he did. So are the places where he built worship spots on the hills and set up Asherah poles and statues, before he became humble. All this is in the records of the seers.

20So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

20Then Manasseh died, like his fathers before him. They buried him at his palace. His son Amon became king after him.

Note"Slept with his fathers" is an old way of saying he died, like the kings before him.

21Amon was two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years in Jerusalem.

21Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for two years.

22But he did 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;

22He did what the LORD said was wrong, just as his father Manasseh had done. Amon gave offerings to all the carved statues his father had made, and he served them.

23And humbled not himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.

23But he did not bow low before the LORD the way his father Manasseh had. Amon only did more and more wrong.

24And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.

24Then his own servants made a secret plan against him. They killed him in his palace.

25But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.

25But the people of the land killed everyone who had planned against King Amon. Then they made his son Josiah king in his place.