Kong Manasse af Juda
2.Kong. 21,1-10.17-18
1Manasse var 12 år gammel, da han blev konge i Juda, og han regerede i Jerusalem i 55 år. 2Han gjorde, hvad der var ondt i Herrens øjne, for han dyrkede afguderne på samme afskyelige måde, som de folk Herren i sin tid jog ud af landet for at skaffe plads til sit folk.
3Han genopbyggede de offersteder rundt omkring på højene, som hans far, Hizkija, havde revet ned. Han opførte altre for Ba’al og frugtbarhedssymboler for gudinden Ashera, og han tilbad stjernerne. 4-5Selv på tempelpladsen i Jerusalem—det sted, som Herren havde sagt, han for altid ville være knyttet til—opførte han altre til ære for solen, månen og stjernerne, både i den indre og ydre forgård. 6Ja, Manasse gik så vidt, at han brændte sine egne børn på alteret i Hinnoms dal som offer til afguderne. Han var stærkt engageret i okkultisme, sort magi og spådomskunst, og han søgte kontakt med ånderne ved hjælp af medier og spiritisme. Han gjorde en masse ting, som fremkaldte Herrens vrede. 7Det udskårne frugtbarhedssymbol, som Manasse lod fremstille, blev rejst i Guds hus, det sted, om hvilket Gud havde sagt til David og Salomon: „Jeg vil altid være knyttet til dette hus og denne by, Jerusalem, som jeg har udvalgt blandt alle andre byer i landet.33,7 Jf. 1.Kong. 9,3 8Hvis Israels folk blot omhyggeligt vil følge de love og forskrifter, jeg gav dem gennem Moses, vil jeg ikke jage dem ud af det land, jeg gav deres forfædre.”
9Men Manasse lokkede Judas og Jerusalems folk til at begå endnu værre synder end de ugudelige folk, der havde boet i landet før dem. 10Herren advarede Manasse og folket gennem sine profeter, men de ville ikke høre. 11Derfor sendte Herren den assyriske hær ind i landet. Manasse blev behandlet som en vild tyr, man sætter en krog i næsen på. Han blev lagt i bronzelænker og deporteret til Babylon. 12Da ydmygede han sig over for sine forfædres Gud, og i sin store nød bad han Herren, sin Gud, om hjælp. 13Herren var barmhjertig og hørte hans bøn, så han fik lov til at vende tilbage til kongemagten i Jerusalem. Da indså Manasse langt om længe, at Herren er den sande Gud.
14Efter at kong Manasse var kommet hjem igen, udbyggede og forhøjede han ydermuren omkring Davidsbyen, fra vest for Gihondalen til Fiskeporten og rundt om hele Ofelhøjen. Desuden udstationerede han officerer og hærafdelinger i alle Judas befæstede byer.
15Dernæst fjernede han afgudsbillederne fra Herrens hus og nedrev afgudsaltrene både på tempelhøjen og i resten af Jerusalem. Det hele blev smidt ud på lossepladsen uden for byen. 16I stedet genopbyggede han Herrens brændofferalter og ofrede takofre og lovprisningsofre, og han opfordrede hele Judas folk til nu at tilbede Herren, Israels Gud. 17Det gjorde de, men de brugte de gamle afgudsaltre til det.
18Resten af kong Manasses liv og virke—også hans bøn til Gud og Herrens svar gennem profeterne—er nedskrevet i Israels kongers krønikebog.33,18 „Israel” står her for både Juda og Israel. 19I profeternes bog står hans bøn også optegnet, foruden Herrens svar, hans synder fra tiden før han vendte sig til Herren, hans ondskab og navnene på de steder, hvor han byggede afgudsaltre og rejste Asherapæle.
20Da han døde, blev han begravet på paladsets område. Hans søn Amon blev konge efter ham.
Kong Amon af Juda
2.Kong. 21,19-24
21Amon var 22 år gammel, da han blev konge, og han regerede i Jerusalem i to år. 22Han gjorde, hvad der var ondt i Herrens øjne ligesom sin far, Manasse, for han ofrede til de afgudsbilleder, hans far havde fremstillet. 23Men i modsætning til sin far vendte han ikke senere tilbage til Herren. 24Hans egne embedsmænd lavede en sammensværgelse imod ham og myrdede ham i hans eget palads, 25men en gruppe borgere dræbte attentatmændene og udråbte Amons søn Josias til konge.
1Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem: 2But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
3¶ For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.33.3 he built…: Heb. he returned and built 4Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. 5And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 6And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. 7And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever: 8Neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers; so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses. 9So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel. 10And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.
11¶ Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.33.11 of the king: Heb. which were the king’s33.11 fetters: or, chains 12And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 13And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God. 14Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.33.14 Ophel: or, the tower 15And he took 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. 16And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel. 17Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the LORD their God only.
18¶ Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers that spake to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel. 19His prayer also, 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 he was humbled: behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers.33.19 the seers: or, Hosai
20¶ So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.
21¶ Amon was two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years in Jerusalem. 22But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them; 23And humbled not himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.33.23 trespassed more and more: Heb. multiplied trespass 24And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.
25¶ But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.
