King Manasseh of Judah
(2 Kings 21.1-92 172 18)1 Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled 55 years from Jerusalem. 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 sacred poles for worshiping the goddess Asherah. And he continued to worship the stars.
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 courtyards of the temple 6-7 and even set up a stone image of a foreign god. Manasseh practiced magic and witchcraft; he asked fortunetellers for advice and sacrificed his own sons in Hinnom Valley. He did many other sinful things and made the Lord very angry.
Years ago, God had told David and Solomon:
Jerusalem is the place I prefer above all others in Israel. It belongs to me, and there in the temple I will be worshiped forever. 8 If my people will faithfully obey all the laws and teaching I gave to my servant Moses, I will never again force them to leave the land I gave to their ancestors.
9 But the people of Judah and Jerusalem listened to Manasseh and did even more sinful things than the nations the Lord had wiped out.
10 The Lord tried to warn Manasseh and the people about their sins, but they ignored the warning. 11 So he let Assyrian army commanders invade Judah and capture Manasseh. They put a hook in his nose and tied him up in chains, and they took him to Babylon. 12 While Manasseh was held captive there, he asked the Lord God to forgive him and to help him. 13 The Lord listened to Manasseh's prayer and saw how sorry he was, and so he let him go back to Jerusalem and rule as king. Manasseh knew from then on that the Lord was God.
14 Later, Manasseh rebuilt the eastern section of Jerusalem's outer wall and made it taller. This section went from Gihon Valley north to Fish Gate and around the part of the city called Mount Ophel. He also assigned army officers to each of the fortified cities in Judah.
15 Manasseh also removed the idols and the stone image of the foreign god from the temple, and he gathered the altars he had built near the temple and in other parts of Jerusalem. He threw all these things outside the city. 16 Then he repaired the Lord's altar and offered sacrifices to thank him and sacrifices to ask his blessing. He gave orders that everyone in Judah must worship the Lord God of Israel. 17 The people obeyed Manasseh, but they worshiped the Lord at their own shrines.
18 Everything else Manasseh did while he was king, including his prayer to the Lord God and the warnings from his prophets, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. 19 Hozai wrote a lot about Manasseh, including his prayer and God's answer. But Hozai also recorded the evil things Manasseh did before turning back to God, as well as a list of places where Manasseh set up idols, and where he built local shrines and places to worship Asherah. 20 Manasseh died and was buried near the palace, and his son Amon became king.
King Amon of Judah
(2 Kings 21.19-26)21 Amon was 22 years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled from Jerusalem for 2 years. 22 Amon disobeyed the Lord, just as his father Manasseh had done, and he worshiped and offered sacrifices to the idols his father had made. 23 Manasseh had turned back to the Lord, but Amon refused to do that. Instead, he sinned even more than his father.
24 Some of Amon's officials plotted against him and killed him in his palace. 25 But the people of Judah killed the murderers of Amon and made his son Josiah king.
Manases valdīšana
(2Ķēn 21:1–9)1 Manase sāka valdīt divpadsmit gadu vecumā, viņš valdīja Jeruzālemē piecdesmit piecus gadus. 2 Manase darīja to, kas netīkams Kungam, kā tās pretīgās tautas, kuras Kungs bija padzinis, Israēla dēliem ienākot. 3 Viņš atkal sāka celt augstieņu altārus, ko bija sagrāvis viņa tēvs Hizkija, uzslēja altārus baāliem un darināja ašēras, viņš pielūdza visus debesu pulkus un kalpoja tiem. 4 Viņš cēla tiem altārus pat tajā Kunga namā, par ko Kungs teicis: “Lai mans vārds Jeruzālemē mīt uz mūžiem!” 5 Tur abos Kunga nama pagalmos viņš cēla altārus visiem debesu pulkiem. 6 Ben-Hinnomas ielejā viņš upurēja ugunī savus dēlus, viņš zīlēja, pareģoja, pesteļoja, izsauca mirušo garus, darīja burvestības – viņš darīja daudz netīkama Kungam, viņu sadusmodams. 7 Viņš darināja elka tēlu un nolika to Dieva namā, par ko Dievs bija teicis Dāvidam un viņa dēlam Sālamanam: “Šajā namā un Jeruzālemē, ko es izvēlējos no visām Israēla ciltīm, es likšu mājot savam vārdam uz mūžiem! 8 Es neatraušu Israēla kājas no zemes, kuru apsolīju viņu tēviem, ja vien tie turēs un ievēros visu, ko esmu tiem pavēlējis, – visu Mozus doto bauslību, likumus un tiesas!” 9 Bet Manase vilināja Jūdu un Jeruzālemes iemītniekus darīt ļaunu, tāpat kā tās tautas, kuras Kungs iznīcināja, Israēla dēliem ienākot.
Manases pazemošanās un varas atjaunošana
10 Kungs brīdināja Manasi un viņa ļaudis, bet tie neņēma vērā. 11 Tad Kungs pret tiem sūtīja Asīrijas ķēniņa karaspēka virsniekus – tie satvēra Manasi ar āķiem un, vara važās saslēgtu, aizveda uz Bābeli. 12 Nonācis postā, viņš lūdza Kungu, savu Dievu, un gauži zemojās savu tēvu Dievam, 13 viņš nemitīgi lūdza, un Dievs uzklausīja viņa lūgšanu un atveda viņu atpakaļ uz Jeruzālemi, kur viņa valsts. Nu Manase atzina, ka Kungs ir Dievs! 14 Pēc tam viņš Dāvida pilsētā no Gīhonas ielejas rietumpuses līdz Zivju vārtiem un visapkārt Ofela kalnam uzcēla ārējo mūri, viņš cēla to ļoti augstu. Viņš arī iecēla karaspēka virsniekus visām Jūdas nocietinātajām pilsētām. 15 Viņš aizvāca no Kunga nama svešos dievus, elku tēlus un visus altārus, kurus bija cēlis Kunga nama kalnā un Jeruzālemē, un izmēza tos no pilsētas. 16 Viņš atjaunoja altāri Kungam un tur upurēja miera upurus un pateicības upurus. Viņš pavēlēja jūdiem, lai tie kalpo vienīgi Kungam, Israēla Dievam. 17 Tomēr ļaudis joprojām upurēja augstienēs, taču vienīgi Kungam, savam Dievam.
Manases nāve
(2Ķēn 21:17–18)18 Pārējie Manases darbi un viņa lūgšana Dievam, un redzētāju atbilde Kunga, Israēla Dieva, vārdā – redzi, tie ir aprakstīti Israēla ķēniņu grāmatā. 19 Un viņa lūgšana, viņa zemošanās Dievam un visi viņa grēki un neuzticība, un vietas, kurās viņš cēla augstieņu altārus, uzslēja ašēras un elku tēlus, līdz tika pazemots, – par to visu rakstīts redzētāju stāstos. 20 Manase apgūlās pie tēviem, un viņu apbedīja paša namā. Pēc tam sāka valdīt viņa dēls Āmons.
Āmona valdīšana
(2Ķēn 21:19–26)21 Āmons sāka valdīt divdesmit divu gadu vecumā, viņš valdīja Jeruzālemē divus gadus. 22 Viņš darīja to, kas netīkams Kungam, tāpat kā bija darījis viņa tēvs Manase. Āmons darināja elku tēlus, tāpat kā viņa tēvs Manase, viņš upurēja un kalpoja tiem. 23 Viņš nezemojās Kungam, kā bija zemojies viņa tēvs Manase, – tā Āmons vairoja savu vainu. 24 Viņa kalpi sazvērējās un nonāvēja viņu paša namā, 25 bet ļaudis nogalēja visus, kas bija sazvērējušies pret ķēniņu Āmonu, un iecēla viņa dēlu Jošijāhu valdīt pār tautu.
