O Reinado de Manassés, Rei de Judá
1Manassés tinha doze anos de idade quando começou a reinar e reinou cinquenta e cinco anos em Jerusalém. O nome de sua mãe era Hefzibá. 2Ele fez o que o Senhor reprova, imitando as práticas detestáveis das nações que o Senhor havia expulsado de diante dos israelitas. 3Reconstruiu os altares idólatras que seu pai, Ezequias, havia demolido e também ergueu altares para Baal e fez um poste sagrado para Aserá, como fizera Acabe, rei de Israel. Inclinou-se diante de todos os exércitos celestes e lhes prestou culto. 4Construiu altares no templo do Senhor, do qual este havia dito: “Em Jerusalém porei o meu nome”. 5Nos dois pátios do templo do Senhor ele construiu altares para todos os exércitos celestes. 6Chegou a queimar o próprio filho em sacrifício, praticou feitiçaria e adivinhação e recorreu a médiuns e a quem consultava os espíritos. Fez o que o Senhor reprova, provocando-o à ira.
7Ele tomou o poste sagrado que havia feito e o pôs no templo, do qual o Senhor tinha dito a Davi e a seu filho Salomão: “Neste templo e em Jerusalém, que escolhi dentre todas as tribos de Israel, porei o meu nome para sempre. 8Não farei os pés dos israelitas andarem errantes novamente, longe da terra que dei aos seus antepassados, se tão somente tiverem o cuidado de fazer tudo o que lhes ordenei e de obedecer a toda a Lei que meu servo Moisés lhes deu”. 9Mas o povo não quis ouvir. Manassés os desviou, a ponto de fazerem pior do que as nações que o Senhor havia destruído diante dos israelitas.
10E o Senhor disse por meio dos seus servos, os profetas: 11“Manassés, rei de Judá, cometeu esses atos repugnantes. Agiu pior do que os amorreus que o antecederam e também levou Judá a pecar com os ídolos que fizera. 12Portanto, assim diz o Senhor, o Deus de Israel: Causarei uma tal desgraça em Jerusalém e em Judá que os ouvidos de quem ouvir a respeito ficarão zumbindo. 13Estenderei sobre Jerusalém o fio de medir utilizado contra Samaria e o fio de prumo usado contra a família de Acabe. Limparei Jerusalém como se limpa um prato, lavando-o e virando-o de cabeça para baixo. 14Abandonarei o remanescente da minha herança e o entregarei nas mãos de seus inimigos. Serão despojados e saqueados por todos os seus adversários, 15pois fizeram o que eu reprovo e me provocaram à ira, desde o dia em que os seus antepassados saíram do Egito até hoje”.
16Manassés também derramou tanto sangue inocente que encheu Jerusalém de um extremo a outro; além disso levou Judá a cometer pecado e fazer o que o Senhor reprova.
17Os demais acontecimentos do reinado de Manassés e todas as suas realizações, inclusive o pecado que cometeu, estão escritos no livro dos registros históricos dos reis de Judá. 18Manassés descansou com os seus antepassados e foi sepultado no jardim do seu palácio, o jardim de Uzá. E seu filho Amom foi o seu sucessor.
O Reinado de Amom, Rei de Judá
19Amom tinha vinte e dois anos de idade quando começou a reinar e reinou dois anos em Jerusalém. O nome de sua mãe era Mesulemete, filha de Haruz; ela era de Jotbá. 20Ele fez o que o Senhor reprova, como fizera Manassés, seu pai. 21Imitou o seu pai em tudo; prestou culto aos ídolos aos quais seu pai havia cultuado e inclinou-se diante deles. 22Abandonou o Senhor, o Deus dos seus antepassados, e não andou no caminho do Senhor.
23Os oficiais de Amom conspiraram contra ele e o assassinaram em seu palácio. 24Mas o povo matou todos os que haviam conspirado contra o rei Amom, e a seu filho Josias proclamou rei em seu lugar.
25Os demais acontecimentos do reinado de Amom e as suas realizações estão escritos no livro dos registros históricos dos reis de Judá. 26Ele foi sepultado em seu túmulo no jardim de Uzá. Seu filho Josias foi o seu sucessor.
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.
