¶ Manasseh¹ was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem:

But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto³ the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

For he built again⁴ the high places which Hezekiah⁵ his father had broken down, and he reared⁶ up altars for Baalim, and made groves⁷, and worshipped all the host⁸ of heaven, and served them.

Also he built⁹ altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem¹⁰ shall my name be for ever.

And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two¹¹ courts of the house of the LORD.

And he caused¹² his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed¹³ times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt¹⁴ with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

And he set a carved image¹⁵, the idol which he had made, in the house¹⁶ of God, of which God had said¹⁷ to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have¹⁸ chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

Neither will I¹⁹ any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers; so that they²⁰ will take heed to do all²¹ that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand²² of Moses.

So Manasseh made Judah²³ and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse²⁴ than the heathen²⁵, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.

¶²⁶And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.

¶ Wherefore the LORD²⁷ brought upon them the captains²⁸ of the host of the king²⁹ of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns³⁰, and bound him³¹ with fetters³², and carried him to Babylon.

And when³³ he was in affliction, he besought³⁴ the LORD³⁵ his God, and humbled³⁶ himself greatly before the God of his fathers,

And prayed unto him: and he was intreated³⁷ of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him³⁸ again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew³⁹ that the LORD he was God.

Now after this he built⁴⁰ a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon⁴¹, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate⁴², and compassed about Ophel⁴³, and raised it up a very great height, and put⁴⁴ captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.

And he took⁴⁵ away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.

And he repaired⁴⁶ the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace⁴⁷ offerings and thank⁴⁸ offerings, and commanded⁴⁹ Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.

Nevertheless the people⁵⁰ did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the LORD their God only.

Now the rest⁵¹ of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer⁵³ unto his God, and the words of the seers⁵⁴ that spake to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book⁵⁵ of the kings of Israel.

His prayer also,⁵⁶ and how God was intreated of him, and all his sin, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves and graven images, before he⁵⁸ was humbled: behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers⁵⁹.

¶ So Manasseh⁶⁰ slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon⁶¹ his son reigned in his stead.

¶ Amon was two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years⁶² in Jerusalem.

But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh⁶³ his father: for Amon sacrificed⁶⁴ unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them;

And humbled⁶⁵ not himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more⁶⁶.

⁶⁷And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.

But the people of the land slew⁶⁸ all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people⁶⁹ of the land made Josiah⁷⁰ his son king in his stead.