瑪拿西做猶大王
1瑪拿西十二歲登基，在耶路撒冷執政五十五年。他母親叫謝西芭。 2他做耶和華視為惡的事，效法耶和華在以色列人面前趕走的外族人的可憎行徑。 3他重建他父親希西迦拆毀的邱壇，效法以色列王亞哈為巴力築造祭壇，製造亞舍拉神像，並且祭拜和供奉天上的萬象。 4耶和華曾指著祂的殿說：「我的名必在耶路撒冷」，而他卻在耶和華的殿內建造異教的祭壇。 5他在耶和華殿的兩個院子裡建造祭拜天上萬象的祭壇； 6他燒死自己的兒子，獻作祭物；他行邪術，占卜，求問靈媒和巫師，做了許多耶和華視為惡的事，惹耶和華發怒。 7他雕刻亞舍拉神像，放在耶和華的殿中。關於這殿，耶和華曾對大衛和他兒子所羅門說：「我從以色列各支派中選擇了耶路撒冷和這殿，我的名要在這裡永遠受尊崇。 8只要以色列人謹遵我對他們的一切吩咐和我僕人摩西交給他們的律法，我就不再把他們從我賜給他們祖先的土地上趕走。」 9可是以色列人不肯聽從。瑪拿西誘使他們作惡，比耶和華在以色列人面前所毀滅的各族更嚴重。 10於是，耶和華藉著祂的僕人——眾先知宣告： 11「瑪拿西王做的這些可憎之事，比以前住在這裡的亞摩利人更嚴重，使猶大人祭拜偶像，陷入罪中。 12所以，以色列的上帝耶和華要在耶路撒冷和猶大降下大災難，凡聽見這事的人都必耳鳴。 13我要像懲罰撒瑪利亞和亞哈家一樣懲罰耶路撒冷。我要潔淨耶路撒冷，就像人擦淨盤子後倒扣過來。 14我要撇棄我殘存的子民，把他們交給敵人，任其擄掠。 15因為從他們祖先離開埃及那天起直到今天，他們一直做我視為惡的事，惹我發怒。」 16瑪拿西不僅使猶大人犯罪，做耶和華視為惡的事，還濫殺無辜，使耶路撒冷血流遍地。 17瑪拿西其他的事及其一切所作所為都記在猶大的列王史上。 18他與祖先同眠後，葬在他王宮的花園。即烏撒花園，他兒子亞們繼位。
亞們做猶大王
19亞們二十二歲登基，在耶路撒冷執政兩年。他母親叫米舒利密，是約提巴人哈魯斯的女兒。 20他效法他父親瑪拿西做耶和華視為惡的事， 21步他父親的後塵，祭拜和供奉同樣的偶像。 22他背棄他祖先的上帝耶和華，沒有遵行耶和華的教導。 23他的臣僕謀反，在王宮裡殺了他。 24民眾殺死那些背叛亞們王的人，立他兒子約西亞為王。 25亞們其他的事及其一切所作所為都記在猶大的列王史上。 26他死後，葬在烏撒花園內他的墳墓裡，他兒子約西亞繼位。
Manasseh King of Judah
1Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 55 years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2Manasseh did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. He followed the practices of the nations. The Lord hated those practices. He had driven those nations out to make room for the Israelites. 3Manasseh rebuilt the high places. His father Hezekiah had destroyed them. Manasseh also set up altars to the god named Baal. He made a pole used to worship the female god named Asherah. Ahab, the king of Israel, had done those same things. Manasseh even bowed down to all the stars. And he worshiped them. 4He built altars in the Lord’s temple. The Lord had said about his temple, “I will put my Name there in Jerusalem.” 5In the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple Manasseh built altars to honor all the stars. 6He sacrificed his own son in the fire to another god. He practiced all kinds of evil magic. He got messages from those who had died. He talked to the spirits of the dead. He did many things that were evil in the eyes of the Lord. Manasseh made the Lord very angry.
7Manasseh had carved a pole used to worship the female god named Asherah. He put it in the temple. The Lord had spoken to David and his son Solomon about the temple. He had said, “My Name will be in this temple and in Jerusalem forever. Out of all the cities in the tribes of Israel I have chosen Jerusalem. 8I gave this land to your people who lived long ago. I will not make the Israelites wander away from it again. But they must be careful to do everything I commanded them. They must obey the whole Law that my servant Moses gave them.” 9But the people didn’t pay any attention. Manasseh led them astray. They did more evil things than the nations the Lord had destroyed. He had destroyed them to make room for the Israelites.
10The Lord spoke through his servants the prophets. He said, 11“Manasseh, the king of Judah, has committed terrible sins. I hate them. Manasseh has done more evil things than the Amorites who were in the land before him. And he has led Judah to commit sin by worshiping his statues of gods. 12I am the Lord, the God of Israel. I tell you, ‘I am going to bring trouble on Jerusalem and Judah. It will be so horrible that the ears of everyone who hears about it will tingle. 13I will measure out punishment against Jerusalem, just as I did against Samaria. I used a plumb line against the royal family of Ahab. I used it to prove that they did not measure up to my standards. I will use the same plumb line against Jerusalem. I will wipe out Jerusalem, just as someone wipes a dish. I will wipe it and turn it upside down. 14I will desert those who remain among my people. I will hand them over to their enemies. All their enemies will rob them. 15That’s because my people have done what is evil in my sight. They have made me very angry. They have done that from the day their own people came out of Egypt until this day.’ ”
16Manasseh also spilled the blood of many people who weren’t guilty of doing anything wrong. He spilled so much blood that he filled Jerusalem with it from one end of the city to the other. And he caused Judah to commit sin. So they also did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord.
17The other events of the rule of Manasseh are written down. That includes the sin he committed. Everything he did is written in the official records of the kings of Judah. 18Manasseh joined the members of his family who had already died. He was buried in his palace garden. It was called the garden of Uzza. Manasseh’s son Amon became the next king after him.
Amon King of Judah
19Amon was 22 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for two years. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth. She was the daughter of Haruz. She was from Jotbah. 20Amon did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Manasseh had done. 21He lived the way his father had lived. He worshiped the statues of the gods his father had worshiped. He bowed down to them. 22He deserted the Lord, the God of his people. He didn’t obey the Lord.
23Amon’s officials made plans against him. They murdered the king in his palace. 24Then the people of the land killed all those officials who had made plans against King Amon. Then the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place.
25The other events of the rule of Amon are written down. Everything he did is written in the official records of the kings of Judah. 26Amon was buried in his grave in the garden of Uzza. Amon’s son Josiah became the next king after him.
