33 Menasheh (Manasseh) was twelve when he became king, and he reigned from Yerushalem (Jerusalem) for fifty-five years. 2 He did was what Yahweh had said was evil, like the disgusting things of the people groups that Yahweh had driven out ahead of the Israelis.[ref] 3 The hilltop shrines that his father Hizkiyah (Hezekiah) had torn down, he turned around and rebuilt them and erected altars to the Baals, and he made Asherah poles, and he bowed down to all the stars in the sky and served them. 4 He built altars in Yahweh’s temple in Yerushalem that Yahweh had previously said that his name would always be associated with.[ref] 5 He built altars for all the stars in the sky in both of the temple courtyards, 6 and he made his sons pass through the fire in the Ben-Hinom valley, and he practiced fortune-telling and sorcery and magic, and connected with mediums and spirits. He did so much evil in Yahweh’s eyes that it provoked him into getting angry.

7 He made an idol and put it in the temple, yes, where God had told David and his son Shelomoh (Solomon), “My name will be associated with that building forever, there in Yerushalem, which was chosen from among all of Yisrael’s (Israel’s) tribes.[ref] 8 If Yisrael will be careful to do everything that I’ve instructed them and follow all the regulations and statutes that were given to them through Mosheh (Moses), then I won’t force them to leave the land again that I gave to their ancestors.” 9 So Menasheh led Yerushalem’s inhabitants astray, and all of Yehudah (Judah)—doing more evil than the nations that Yahweh had destroyed ahead of the Israelis.

10 Then Yahweh spoke to King Menasheh and his people, but they paid no attention, 11 so Yahweh brought in the Assyrian king’s army leaders and they captured Menasheh. They put a hook in his nose and bronze chains around his feet, and they took him away to Bavel (Babylon). 12 ⇔When he was there suffering, he humbled himself in the presence of his ancestors’ god Yahweh, and pleaded with him for help. 13 When he prayed, Yahweh listened to him and answered his request and brought him back to Yerushalem to his kingdom. Then Menasheh realised that Yahweh really is God.

14 After that, he rebuilt the outer wall for ‘The City of David’ on the west of Gihon to the Fish Gate and around the hill—also making it higher. Then he stationed army commanders in all of Yehudah’s fortified cities. 15 He removed the foreign gods and idols from the temple, as well as all the altars that he’d built on the temple mount and throughout Yerushalem, and he dumped them all outside the city. 16 Then he rebuilt Yahweh’s altar and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and he told Yehudah to serve Yisrael’s god Yahweh. 17 However, the people continued to offer sacrifices at the hilltop shrines, but now only to their god Yahweh.

18 The record of all the other things Menasheh did while he was king, including his prayer to his god and the messages spoken to him by the prophets, was written on the scroll ‘The kings of Yisrael’ (Israel). 19 ⇔It’s written in ‘The Words of Hozay’ about his disobedience and unfaithful activities, and how he built the hilltop shrines and Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself, as well as the response to his pleading in his prayer. 20 Then Menasheh died and was buried at his palace, and his son Amon replaced him as king.

21 Menasheh (Manasseh) was twelve when he became king, and he reigned over Yehudah (Judah) from Yerushalem (Jerusalem) for fifty-five years. (His mother was Heftsi-Bah.) 2 He did what Yahweh had said was evil like the evil behaviour of the people groups that Yahweh had driven out of the region ahead of the Israelis.[ref] 3 In fact he went backwards from his father and rebuilt the hilltop shrines that Hizkiyah (Hezekiah) had destroyed, and he made altars for Ba’al, and he made an Asherah pole, just like Yisrael’s (Israel’s) King Ahav had, and he worshipped the constellations and followed astrology. 4 Also he built altars in Yahweh’s residence, where Yahweh had said, “I will establish my reputation in Yerushalem.”[ref] 5 Menasheh built altars to all the constellations in the two temple courtyards . 6 He even sacrificed his own son as a burnt offering. He practised divination and read omens, and consulted mediums and fortune-tellers. He did so much that Yahweh had said was evil, provoking Yahweh to get angry. 7 He placed the Asherah idol that he’d made in the temple about which Yahweh had said to David and to his son Shelomoh (Solomon), “I will establish my reputation forever in this house and in Yerushalem in Yehudah, which I’ve chosen out of all the tribes of Yisrael.[ref] 8 ⇔If only the Israelis will take care to obey everything that I’ve commanded them, and all the instructions that my servant Mosheh (Moses) gave them, then I won’t continue to cause them to leave the area that I gave to their ancestors.” 9 But they didn’t listen and Menasheh led them astray to do more evil things even than the people groups that Yahweh had destroyed as the people had entered the region.