2 Kings 21

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he came to the throne and he reigned for fifty-five years inJerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah.	1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah.
2 He did what is displeasing to Yahweh, copying the disgusting practices of the nations whom Yahwehhad dispossessed for the Israelites.	2 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, following the abominable practices of the nations whom the LORD had cleared out of the way of the Israelites.
3 He rebuilt the high places which his father Hezekiah had destroyed, he set up altars to Baal and madea sacred pole as Ahab king of Israel had done, he worshipped the whole array of heaven and served it.	3 He rebuilt the high places which his father Hezekiah had destroyed. He erected altars to Baal, and also set up a sacred pole, as Ahab, king of Israel, had done. He worshiped and served the whole host of heaven.
4 He built altars in the Temple of Yahweh of which Yahweh had said, 'Jerusalem is where I shal put myname.'	4 He built altars in the temple of the LORD, about which the LORD had said, "I will establish my name in Jerusalem"--
5 He built altars to the whole array of heaven in the two courts of the Temple of Yahweh.	5 altars for the whole host of heaven, in the two courts of the temple.
6 He caused his son to pass through the fire of sacrifice, he also practised soothsaying and divinationand set up mediums and spirit guides. He did very many more things displeasing to Yahweh, thus provoking hisanger.	6 He immolated his son by fire. He practiced soothsaying and divination, and reintroduced the consulting of ghosts and spirits. He did much evil in the LORD'S sight and provoked him to anger.
7 He had an image of Asherah carved and placed it inside the Temple of which Yahweh had said toDavid and his son Solomon, 'In this Temple and in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of al the tribes ofIsrael, I shal put my Name for ever.	7 The Asherah idol he had made, he set up in the temple, of which the LORD had said to David and to his son Solomon: "In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I shall place my name forever.
8 Nor shal I ever again set Israel's footsteps wandering outside the country which I gave to theirancestors, provided they are careful to observe all I have commanded them as laid down in the whole Law whichmy servant Moses prescribed for them.'	8 I will not in future allow Israel to be driven off the land I gave their fathers, provided that they are careful to observe all I have commanded them, the entire law which my servant Moses enjoined upon them."
9 But they would not listen, and Manasseh misled them into doing worse things than the nations whomYahweh had destroyed for the Israelites.	9 But they did not listen, and Manasseh misled them into doing even greater evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed at the coming of the Israelites.
10 Then Yahweh spoke through his servants the prophets as fol ows,	10 Then the LORD spoke through his servants the prophets:
11 'Since Manasseh king of Judah has done these shameful deeds, doing more wicked deeds thananything which the Amorites did before him, and has led Judah too into sin with his idols,	11 "Because Manasseh, king of Judah, has practiced these abominations and has done greater evil than all that was done by the Amorites before him, and has led Judah into sin by his idols,
12 Yahweh, God of Israel, says this, "Look, I shall bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah as wilmake the ears of al who hear of it tingle.	12 therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: 'I will bring such evil on Jerusalem and Judah that, whenever anyone hears of it, his ears shall ring.
13 Over Jerusalem I shal stretch the same measuring line as over Samaria, the same plumb-rule as forthe House of Ahab; I shall scour Jerusalem as someone scours a dish and, having scoured it, turns it upsidedown.	13 I will measure Jerusalem with the same cord as I did Samaria, and with the plummet I used for the house of Ahab. I will wipe Jerusalem clean as one wipes a dish, wiping it inside and out.
14 I shal cast away the remnant of my heritage, delivering them into the clutches of their enemies andmaking them the prey and booty of al their enemies,	14 I will cast off the survivors of my inheritance and deliver them into enemy hands, to become a prey and a booty for all their enemies,
15 because they have done what is displeasing to me and have provoked my anger from the day theirancestors came out of Egypt until now." '	15 because they have done evil in my sight and provoked me from the day their fathers came forth from Egypt until today.'"
16 Manasseh shed innocent blood, too, in such great quantity that he flooded Jerusalem from one end tothe other, besides the sins into which he led Judah by doing what is displeasing to Yahweh.	16 In addition to the sin which he caused Judah to commit, Manasseh did evil in the sight of the LORD, shedding so much innocent blood as to fill the length and breadth of Jerusalem.
17 The rest of the history of Manasseh, his entire career, the sins he committed, is this not recorded inthe Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah?	17 The rest of the acts of Manasseh, the sin he committed and all that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah.
18 Then Manasseh fel asleep with his ancestors and was buried in the garden of his palace, the Gardenof Uzza; his son Amon succeeded him.	18 Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace garden, the garden of Uzza. His son Amon succeeded him as king.
19 Amon was twenty-two years old when he came to the throne, and he reigned for two years inJerusalem. His mother's name was Meshul emeth daughter of Haruz, of Jotbah.	19 Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Meshullemeth, daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.
20 He did what is displeasing to Yahweh, as Manasseh his father had done.	20 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done.
21 In every respect he followed the example of his father, serving the idols which his father had served,and worshipping them.	21 He followed exactly the path his father had trod, serving and worshiping the idols his father had served.
22 He abandoned Yahweh, God of his ancestors; he did not fol ow the way of Yahweh.	22 He abandoned the LORD, the God of his fathers, and did not follow the path of the LORD.
23 Amon's retinue plotted against the king and kil ed him in his own palace.	23 Subjects of Amon conspired against him and slew the king in his palace,
24 The people of the country, however, slaughtered all those who had plotted against King Amon andproclaimed his son Josiah as his successor.	24 but the people of the land then slew all who had conspired against King Amon, and proclaimed his son Josiah king in his stead.
25 The rest of the history of Amon, his entire career, is this not recorded in the Book of the Annals of theKings of Judah?	25 The rest of the acts that Amon did are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah.
26 He was buried in his father's tomb in the Garden of Uzza; his son Josiah succeeded him.	26 He was buried in his own grave in the garden of Uzza, and his son Josiah succeeded him as king.