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ユダの王マナセ
1-2ユダの新しい王マナセは十二歳で即位し、エルサレムで五十五年間治めました。母はヘフツィ・バハで、彼は、以前この地に住んでいた異教の民の風習にならい、主の前に悪を行いました。
3-5彼は、父ヒゼキヤが取り壊した高台の礼拝所を再建し、イスラエルのアハブ王をまねてバアルのために祭壇を築き、忌まわしいアシェラ像を造りました。また太陽神をはじめ、月や星の神のための祭壇を、なんと神殿の中に置いたのです。 6さらに、わが子を偶像の祭壇にいけにえとしてささげ、まじないや占いに凝り、霊媒や口寄せを行いました。このように、マナセ王のすることがあまりにもひどかったので、主の激しい怒りを引き起こしました。 7恥ずべきことに、アシェラ像を神殿に安置さえしたのでした。神殿は、かつて主がダビデとソロモンに、次のように説明した場所にほかなりません。「わたしはこの神殿に、そして、わたしがイスラエル全部族の町から選んだエルサレムに、いつまでもわたしの名を置く。 8もしイスラエルの民が、わたしがモーセを通して与えておいた命令に従うなら、もう二度と彼らを父祖の地から追い出さない。」
9しかし、人々は主に聞き従わず、マナセは民をそそのかして、すでにイスラエル人の前で主に滅ぼされた周辺の国民がなしたことよりも、さらに悪いことを行わせたのです。
10それで主は、預言者たちによって、次のように言いました。 11「ユダの王マナセはこのように主の目に悪を行い、その非道ぶりは以前この地にいたエモリ人以上で、王はユダの民に偶像礼拝の罪を犯させた。 12それゆえ、わたしはエルサレムとユダに大きな災いを下す。それを聞く者は、恐怖のあまり激しい耳鳴りに襲われるだろう。 13わたしはエルサレムをサマリヤと同じ目に会わせる。洗った皿を乾かすために引っくり返すように、エルサレムを引っくり返す。 14生き残ったわずかな民さえ見限り、敵の手に渡す。 15それは、わたしが彼らの先祖をエジプトから連れ出した日から今日まで、彼らが悪に悪を重ね、わたしの怒りを招いたからだ。」
16マナセ王は、主が忌みきらう偶像礼拝を民にさせたばかりでなく、罪のない人々を大ぜい殺しました。エルサレムは、その犠牲者の死体で埋め尽くされるほどでした。
17罪にまみれたマナセ王のその他の業績は、『ユダ諸王の年代記』に記録されています。 18王は死んで、ウザにある宮殿の庭に葬られ、その子アモンが新しく王となりました。
ユダの王アモン
19-20ユダの新しい王アモンは二十二歳で即位し、エルサレムで二年間治めました。母はヨテバ出身のハルツの娘メシュレメテで、彼は主の目に悪を行いました。
21彼は父の悪をそっくりまね、父の拝んだ偶像を拝み、 22先祖代々仕えてきた主を捨てて、主の命令に耳をふさぎました。 23アモンの家来たちは彼に謀反を起こし、宮殿の中で王を殺しました。 24ところが、今度は武装した民衆が暗殺者たちをみな打ち殺し、アモンの子ヨシヤを王にしました。 25アモン王のその他の業績は、『ユダ諸王の年代記』に記録されています。 26王はウザの宮殿の庭にある墓地に葬られ、その子ヨシヤが新しく王となりました。
Manasseh King of Judah
1Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 3He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. 4He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.” 5In the two courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. 6He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced divination, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.
7He took the carved Asherah pole he had made and put it 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 will put my Name forever. 8I will not again make the feet of the Israelites wander from the land I gave their ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them and will keep the whole Law that my servant Moses gave them.” 9But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.
10The Lord said through his servants the prophets: 11“Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil than the Amorites who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols. 12Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. 13I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14I will forsake the remnant of my inheritance and give them into the hands of enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their enemies; 15they have done evil in my eyes and have aroused my anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until this day.”
16Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.
17As for the other events of Manasseh’s reign, and all he did, including the sin he committed, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 18Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace garden, the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.
Amon King of Judah
19Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz; she was from Jotbah. 20He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. 21He followed completely the ways of his father, worshiping the idols his father had worshiped, and bowing down to them. 22He forsook the Lord, the God of his ancestors, and did not walk in obedience to him.
23Amon’s officials conspired against him and assassinated the king in his palace. 24Then the people of the land killed all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah his son king in his place.
25As for the other events of Amon’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 26He was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza. And Josiah his son succeeded him as king.
