2 Reis 21 – OL & NIRV

O Livro

2 Reis 21:1-26

Manassés rei de Judá

(2 Cr 33.1-20)

1Manassés tinha apenas 12 anos quando começou a reinar. Reinou durante 55 anos em Jerusalém. A sua mãe chamava-se Hafzibá. 2Fez o que era mau aos olhos do Senhor, cometendo as mesmas abominações que as nações que o Senhor tinha desterrado para dar lugar a Israel.

3-5Tornou a levantar os santuários pagãos que o seu pai, Ezequias, tinha derrubado. Edificou altares a Baal e mandou fazer o vergonhoso ídolo de Achera, à semelhança do que fizera Acabe, o rei de Israel. Mandou colocar nos dois pátios do templo altares a deuses pagãos; ao deus do Sol, à deusa da Lua, aos deuses das estrelas e adorou-os. Colocou-os até no próprio templo do Senhor, na própria cidade e no edifício que o Senhor tinha escolhido para honrar o seu nome. 6Chegou ao ponto de sacrificar um dos seus próprios filhos num holocausto. Praticou adivinhação e feitiçaria, consultou médiuns e adivinhos. Por isso, o Senhor se irou grandemente, pois Manassés foi um homem perverso perante o Senhor.

7Pôs um ídolo de Achera no templo, no lugar acerca do qual o Senhor tinha dito a David e a Salomão: “Colocarei para sempre o meu nome neste templo e em Jerusalém, a cidade que escolhi entre todas as tribos de Israel. 8Se o povo de Israel simplesmente cumprir os meus mandamentos, dados por intermédio de Moisés, nunca o expulsarei desta terra que dei aos seus antepassados.” 9O povo não quis prestar ouvidos ao Senhor e Manassés permitiu que se endurecessem e fizessem ainda pior do que as nações vizinhas, apesar do Senhor as ter destruído, justamente por causa das suas práticas perversas, e ter dado a sua terra ao povo de Israel.

10Então o Senhor declarou pelos profetas: 11“Visto que o rei Manassés fez todas estas coisas horríveis e se tornou pior até do que os amorreus, que aqui habitaram, e visto que levou o povo de Judá à idolatria, 12trarei sobre Jerusalém e sobre Judá calamidades tais que hão de fazer estremecer os ouvidos dos que as ouvirem contar. 13Castigarei Jerusalém com a mesma medida que usei para Samaria e como fiz com o rei Acabe. Será assolada à semelhança de alguém que lava um prato muito bem, de todos os seus restos, e o vira para ficar a secar. 14Até aqueles que restarem do meu povo, também a esses rejeitarei e os entregarei aos seus inimigos e serão saqueados. 15Pois cometeram grandes pecados e suscitaram a minha ira, desde que tirei os seus antepassados do Egito.”

16Para além de ter conduzido o povo à prática da idolatria, a qual o Senhor odiava, Manassés assassinou um grande número de pessoas inocentes do povo. Jerusalém ficou repleta, duma ponta à outra, dos corpos das suas vítimas.

17O resto da história de Manassés está relatado no Livro das Crónicas dos Reis de Judá. 18Quando morreu, foi enterrado no jardim do palácio de Uzá. O seu filho Amom ocupou o seu lugar no trono.

Amom rei de Judá

(2 Cr 33.20-25)

19O novo rei de Judá foi Amom. Tinha a idade de 22 anos quando começou a reinar. O seu reinado durou apenas 2 anos, tendo como capital Jerusalém. A sua mãe chamava-se Mesulemete e era filha de Haruz, de Jotba. 20Fez o que era mau aos olhos do Senhor, tal como o seu pai Manassés. 21Imitou-o em tudo: prestou culto aos mesmos ídolos e serviu-os. 22Voltou as costas ao Senhor, o Deus dos seus antepassados, e não andou segundo o caminho do Senhor.

23Os seus colaboradores conspiraram contra ele e mataram-no no palácio. 24Contudo, uns quantos cidadãos resolveram fazer justiça por suas mãos, matando aqueles que o tinham assassinado, declarando o seu filho Josias rei da nação.

25O resto dos acontecimentos da vida deste rei está escrito no Livro das Crónicas dos Reis de Judá. 26Foi enterrado numa sepultura no jardim de Uzá. O seu filho Josias reinou em seu lugar.

New International Reader’s Version

2 Kings 21:1-26

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.