2 Kings 21

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hephzibah.

1Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for fifty-five years. His mother's name was Hephzibah.

2And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

2He did what was evil in God's eyes. He copied the awful things done by the nations God had pushed out of the land before Israel came.

3For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.

3His father Hezekiah had torn down the hilltop worship places. Manasseh built them again. He set up altars for a false god named Baal. He made a tall wooden pole for the goddess Asherah, just like Ahab, a king of Israel, had done. He bowed down to the sun, moon, and stars and served them.

Note"All the host of heaven" means the sun, moon, and stars. "A grove" in the old English means a tall wooden pole set up to honor a goddess named Asherah.

4And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name.

4He built altars inside the temple, God's house in Jerusalem. God had said about that place, "I will put my name in Jerusalem."

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

5In both open yards of God's house, he built altars for the sun, moon, and stars.

6And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

6He put his own son into the fire as an offering. He tried to read signs to tell the future. He used magic spells. He went to people who claimed to speak with the dead. He did much evil in God's eyes, and it made God angry.

Note"Observed times" and "used enchantments" mean trying to tell the future and using magic. "Familiar spirits and wizards" means people who claimed to talk with the dead.

7And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

7He had a carved Asherah pole made. He set it up inside the temple. But God had said to David and to David's son Solomon, "I will put my name forever in this house and in Jerusalem. I chose this city out of all the tribes of Israel.

8Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.

8If the people carefully do everything I have told them, and follow all the law my servant Moses gave them, I will never again make them wander away from the land I gave their fathers."

9But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.

9But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them the wrong way. They did worse things than the nations God had destroyed before Israel came.

10And the LORD spake by his servants the prophets, saying,

10So God spoke through his servants the prophets. Prophets were people who told others what God said. God said this:

11Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols:

11"Manasseh, king of Judah, has done all these awful things. He has acted worse than the Amorites who lived here before him. He has made Judah sin with his idols.

12Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.

12So this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says. I am bringing such trouble on Jerusalem and Judah that everyone who hears about it will be stunned.

Note"Both his ears shall tingle" is an old way of saying the news will shock everyone who hears it.

13And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.

13I measured Samaria for ruin, and I measured Ahab's family the same way. Now I will measure Jerusalem that way too. I will wipe Jerusalem clean like a person wipes a bowl and turns it upside down.

NoteA measuring line and a plumb line are builder's tools. Builders used them to check if a wall was straight. Here they are used to check a city before tearing it down.

14And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;

14I will turn away from the few of my people who are left. I will hand them over to their enemies. Their enemies will take everything they own.

15Because they have done that which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.

15This is because they have done what is evil in my eyes. They have made me angry from the day their fathers left Egypt until now."

16Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.

16Manasseh also killed many people who had done nothing wrong. He filled Jerusalem with their blood from one end to the other. He did all this on top of leading Judah into sin and doing evil in God's eyes.

17Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

17The other things Manasseh did, and the sin he committed, are written down. You can read them in the record book of the kings of Judah.

18And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

18Manasseh died like his fathers before him. He was buried in the garden by his own house, the garden of Uzza. His son Amon became king after him.

19Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.

19Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for two years. His mother's name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz. She was from a town called Jotbah.

20And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh did.

20Amon did what was evil in God's eyes, just like his father Manasseh had done.

21And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them:

21He lived the same way his father had lived. He served the same idols his father served, and he bowed down to them.

22And he forsook the LORD God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the LORD.

22He turned away from the LORD, the God of his fathers. He did not live the way God said to live.

23And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house.

23Amon's own servants made a secret plan against him. They killed the king in his house.

24And 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.

24But the people of the land killed everyone who had plotted against King Amon. Then they made his son Josiah the new king.

25Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

25The other things Amon did are written down. You can read them in the record book of the kings of Judah.

26And he was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza: and Josiah his son reigned in his stead.

26Amon was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza. His son Josiah became king after him.