2 Chronicles 33 - International Standard Version (ISV)

Manasseh Succeeds Hezekiah(A)

33 Manasseh began to reign at the age of twelve years, and continued to reign for 55 years in Jerusalem. 2 But he practiced what the Lord considered to be evil by behaving detestably, as did the nations whom the Lord expelled in front of the Israelis.

The Sins of Manasseh

3 He re-established the high places that his father Hezekiah had demolished, he built altars to the Baals, erected Asherim, and worshipped and served the armies[a] of heaven. 4 He also built altars in the Lord’s Temple, about which the Lord had spoken “My name will reside in Jerusalem forever.”[b] 5 He built altars for all the armies[c] of heaven in the two courtyards of the Lord’s Temple.[d] 6 He burned his sons[e] as an offering in the Ben-hinnom Valley, practiced fortune-telling, witchcraft, sorcery, and communicated with mediums and spiritualists. He did a lot of things that the Lord considered to be evil, thus provoking him. 7 He also placed an image that he had carved in God’s Temple, the place about which God had told to David and to his son Solomon, “I will place my name in this Temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel,”[f] 8 and “I won’t let Israel’s foothold slip on the land that I’ve given to your ancestors, if only they will be careful to keep everything that I commanded them in the Law, in the statutes, and in the ordinance through Moses.”[g] 9 This is how Manasseh deceived Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to practice more evil than the nations whom the Lord had eliminated in front of the Israelis.

Manasseh Repents and is Restored

10 The Lord kept on speaking to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention to him, 11 so the Lord brought in the army commanders who worked for the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him in bronze chains, and took him off to Babylon. 12 But when he was in trouble, he sought the face of the Lord his God, humbled himself magnificently before the God of his ancestors, 13 and prayed to him. Moved by Manasseh’s[h] entreaties, the Lord heard his supplications and brought him back to his kingdom in Jerusalem. That’s how Manasseh learned that the Lord is God.

14 Later on, Manasseh[i] reinforced the outer wall to the City of David on the west side overlooking the Gihon Valley as far as the Fish Gate. He encircled the Ophel,[j] raising it to a great height. 15 He also eliminated the foreign gods and idols from the Lord’s Temple, along with all of the altars that he had built in Jerusalem and on the mountain where the Lord’s Temple was located, and he discarded them outside the city. 16 He set up an altar to the Lord, sacrificed peace offerings on it, and ordered Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. 17 Even so, the people continued to sacrifice in the high places, but only to the Lord their God.

The Death of Manasseh(B)

18 Now as to the rest of Manasseh’s accomplishments, including his prayer to God and what the seers had to say to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, they are included among the Acts of the Kings of Israel. 19 His prayer, how God was moved by him, all of his sin and unfaithfulness, and a record of the sites where he constructed high places, erected Asherim and carved images before he humbled himself are written in the Acts of the Seers.[k] 20 So Manasseh died, as had his ancestors, and they buried him in his own palace while his son Amon became king in his place.

Amon’s Reign and Death(C)

21 Amon was 22 years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. 22 He practiced what the Lord considered to be evil, just as his father Manasseh had done, sacrificing to and serving all the carved images that his father Manasseh had made, 23 except that he never humbled himself to the Lord like his father Manasseh had done. In fact, Amon multiplied his own guilt 24 until his servants finally conspired against him and executed him in his own palace. 25 But the people of the land executed all of the conspirators against King Amon and installed his son Josiah as king to succeed him.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 33:3 Or stars
  2. 2 Chronicles 33:4 Cf. 2Sam 7:13; 2Chr 7:16
  3. 2 Chronicles 33:5 Or stars
  4. 2 Chronicles 33:5 I.e. the court of the priests and the great court; cf. 2Chr 4:9
  5. 2 Chronicles 33:6 Lit. He passed his sons through fire
  6. 2 Chronicles 33:7 Cf. 1King 9:3-5; 2Chr 7:16; 33:4
  7. 2 Chronicles 33:8 Cf. 2Sam 7:10
  8. 2 Chronicles 33:13 Lit. his
  9. 2 Chronicles 33:14 Lit. he
  10. 2 Chronicles 33:14 I.e. a ridge of hills in Jerusalem fortified for defense of the city; cf. 2 Chr 27:3
  11. 2 Chronicles 33:19 Or the Record Keepers

Cross references

  1. 2 Chronicles 33:1 : 2 Kings 21:1-9
  2. 2 Chronicles 33:18 : 2 Kings 21:17-18
  3. 2 Chronicles 33:21 : 2 Kings 21:19-26

You Might Also Like:

2 Chronicles 33 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

33 A son of twelve years is Manasseh in his reigning, and fifty and five years he hath reigned in Jerusalem; 2 and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, like the abominations of the nations that Jehovah dispossessed from the presence of the sons of Israel, 3 and he turneth and buildeth the ...
Read More

2 Chronicles 33 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

33 Manasseh was of twelve years, when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem five and fifty years. (Manasseh was twelve years old, when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem for fifty-five years.) 2 And he did evil before the Lord after the abominations of heathen men, whom the Lord...
Read More

2 Chronicles 33 - World English Bible (WEB)

33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, after the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh cast out before the children of Israel. 3 For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his f...
Read More

2 Chronicles 33 - The Voice (VOICE)

33 Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king, and he reigned 55 years in Jerusalem, the longest of any king in Israel. 2 He behaved wickedly before the Eternal, acting with the same abominations as the previous nations did before the Eternal gave their land to Israel. 3 He reversed the good de...
Read More

2 Chronicles 33 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

King Manasseh’s Transgressions33 Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king, and he reigned 55 years in Jerusalem. 2 He did evil in the sight of Adonai, just like the abominations of the nations that Adonai had driven out before Bnei-Yisrael. 3 For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hez...
Read More

2 Chronicles 33 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Reign of Manasseh33 Manas′seh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the h...
Read More

2 Chronicles 33 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Reign of Manasseh33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.(A)2 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominable practices of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the people of Israel.(B)3 For he rebuilt the...
Read More

2 Chronicles 33 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Manasseh Rules in Judah33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. 2 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, following the detestable practices of the pagan nations that the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt ...
Read More

2 Chronicles 33 - New Life Version (NLV)

Manasseh Rules Judah33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king. And he ruled for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 He did what was bad in the eyes of the Lord. He did the hated things of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the sons of Israel. 3 For he built again the high places wh...
Read More

2 Chronicles 33 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Manasseh Reigns in Judah(A)33 Manasseh (B)was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 But he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the (C)abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt t...
Read More

2 Chronicles 33 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Manasseh king of Judah33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for fifty-five years. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high places his fat...
Read More

2 Chronicles 33 - New International Version (NIV)

Manasseh King of Judah(A)(B)33 Manasseh(C) was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord,(D) following the detestable(E) practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high place...
Read More

2 Chronicles 33 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Manasseh King of Judah33 Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 55 years. 2 Manasseh did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. He followed the practices of the nations. The Lord hated those practices. The Lord had driven out those nations to make room for the Isra...
Read More

2 Chronicles 33 - New English Translation (NET)

Manasseh’s Reign33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 He did evil in the sight of[a] the Lord and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations[b] whom the Lord drove out ahead of the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high ...
Read More