2 Kings 21:1-5

Manasseh’s Reign over Judah

21:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. ¹  His mother ²  was Hephzibah. 21:2 He did evil in the sight of ³  the Lord and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations ⁴  whom the Lord drove out from before the Israelites. 21:3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole just like King Ahab of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky ⁵  and worshiped ⁶  them. 21:4 He built altars in the Lord’s temple, about which the Lord had said, “Jerusalem will be my home.” ⁷  21:5 In the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple he built altars for all the stars in the sky.

[21:1]  ¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[21:1]  ² tn Heb “the name of his mother.”

[21:2]  ³ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[21:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “like the abominable practices of the nations.”

[21:3]  ⁵ sn See the note at 2 Kgs 17:16.

[21:3]  ⁶ tn Or “served.”

[21:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “In Jerusalem I will place my name.”