King Manasseh of Judah
(2 Chronicles 33.1-20)1 Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled 55 years from Jerusalem. His mother was Hephzibah. 2 Manasseh disobeyed the Lord by following the disgusting customs of the nations that the Lord had forced out of Israel. 3 He rebuilt the local shrines that his father Hezekiah had torn down. He built altars for the god Baal and set up a sacred pole for worshiping the goddess Asherah, just as King Ahab of Israel had done. And he faithfully worshiped the stars in heaven.
4 In the temple, where only the Lord was supposed to be worshiped, Manasseh built altars for the worship of pagan gods 5 and the stars. He placed these altars in both courts of the temple, 6-7 and even set up the pole for Asherah there. Manasseh practiced magic and witchcraft; he asked fortunetellers for advice and sacrificed his own son. He did many sinful things and made the Lord very angry.
Years ago the Lord had told David and his son Solomon:
Jerusalem is the place I prefer above all others in Israel. It belongs to me, and there I will be worshiped forever. 8 If my people will faithfully obey all the commands in the Law of my servant Moses, I will never make them leave the land I gave to their ancestors.
9 But the people of Judah disobeyed the Lord. They listened to Manasseh and did even more sinful things than the nations the Lord had wiped out.
10 One day the Lord said to some of his prophets:
11 King Manasseh has done more disgusting things than the Amorites, and he has led my people to sin by forcing them to worship his idols. 12 Now I, the Lord God of Israel, will destroy both Jerusalem and Judah! People will hear about it but won't believe it. 13 Jerusalem is as sinful as Ahab and the people of Samaria were. So I will wipe out Jerusalem and be done with it, just as someone wipes water off a plate and turns it over to dry.
14 I will even get rid of my people who survive. They will be defeated and robbed by their enemies. 15 My people have done what I hate and have not stopped making me angry since their ancestors left Egypt.
16 Manasseh was guilty of causing the people of Judah to sin and disobey the Lord. He also refused to protect innocent people—he even let so many of them be killed that their blood filled the streets of Jerusalem.
17 Everything else Manasseh did while he was king, including his terrible sins, is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. 18 He died and was buried in Uzza Garden near his palace, and his son Amon became king.
King Amon of Judah
(2 Chronicles 33.21-25)19 Amon was 22 years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled from Jerusalem for 2 years. His mother Meshullemeth was the daughter of Haruz from Jotbah. 20 Amon disobeyed the Lord, just as his father Manasseh had done. 21 Amon worshiped the idols Manasseh had made and 22 refused to be faithful to the Lord, the God his ancestors had worshiped.
23 Some of Amon's officials plotted against him and killed him in his palace. 24-26 He was buried in Uzza Garden. Soon after that, the people of Judah killed the murderers of Amon, then they made his son Josiah king.
Everything else Amon did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah.
1 Manasseh was twelue yeere olde when he began to reigne, and reigned fiftie and fiue yeere in Ierusalem: his mothers name also was Hephzi-bah. 2 And he did euill in the sight of the Lord after the abomination of the heathen, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. 3 For he went backe and built the hie places, which Hezekiah his father had destroyed: and he erected vp altars for Baal, and made a groue, as did Ahab King of Israel, and worshipped all the hoste of heauen and serued them. 4 Also he built altars in the house of the Lord, of the which the Lord saide, In Ierusalem will I put my Name. 5 And he built altars for al the hoste of ye heauen in the two courtes of the house of the Lord. 6 And he caused his sonnes to passe through the fire, and gaue him selfe to witchcraft and sorcerie, and he vsed them that had familiar spirits and were soothsayers, and did much euill in the sight of the Lord to anger him. 7 And he set the image of the groue, that he had made, in the house, whereof ye Lord had saide to Dauid and to Salomon his sonne, In this house and in Ierusalem, which I haue chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my Name for euer. 8 Neither will I make the feete of Israel, mooue any more out of the lande, which I gaue their fathers: so that they will obserue and doe all that I haue commanded them, and according to all the Lawe that my seruant Moses commanded them. 9 Yet they obeyed not, but Manasseh ledde them out of the way, to doe more wickedly then did the heathen people, whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel. 10 Therefore the Lord spake by his seruants the Prophets, saying, 11 Because that Manasseh King of Iudah hath done such abominations, and hath wrought more wickedly then al that the Amorites (which were before him) did, and hath made Iudah sinne also with his idoles, 12 Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Beholde, I will bring an euill vpon Ierusalem and Iudah, that who so heareth of it, both his eares shall tingle. 13 And I will stretch ouer Ierusalem the line of Samaria, and the plommet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Ierusalem, as a man wipeth a dish, which he wipeth, and turneth it vpside downe. 14 And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliuer them into the hande of their enemies, and they shalbe robbed and spoyled of all their aduersaries, 15 Because they haue done euil in my sight, and haue prouoked mee to anger, since the time their fathers came out of Egypt vntill this day. 16 Moreouer Manasseh shed innocent blood exceeding much, till hee replenished Ierusalem from corner to corner, beside his sinne wherwith he made Iudah to sinne, and to doe euill in the sight of the Lord. 17 Concerning the rest of the actes of Manasseh, and all that hee did, and his sinne that he sinned, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah? 18 And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, euen in the garden of Vzza: and Amon his sonne reigned in his steade. 19 Amon was two and twentie yere olde, when he began to reigne, and hee reygned two yeere in Ierusalem: his mothers name also was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Iotbah. 20 And he did euill in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh did. 21 For hee walked in all the way that his father walked in, and serued the idoles that his father serued, and worshipped them. 22 And he forsooke the Lord God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the Lord. 23 And the seruantes of Amon conspired against him, and slewe the King in his owne house. 24 And the people of the land slewe all them that had conspired against King Amon, and the people made Iosiah his sonne King in his steade. 25 Concerning the rest of the actes of Amon, which he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah? 26 And they buried him in his sepulchre in the garden of Vzza: and Iosiah his sonne reigned in his steade.