Study Desk

^(C1)Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Hephzibah.

^(C1)He did evil in the sight of the LORD, ^(C2)in accordance with the abominations of the nations whom the LORD ^(F1)dispossessed before the sons of Israel.

For ^(C1)he rebuilt the high places which his father Hezekiah had destroyed; and ^(C2)he erected altars for Baal and made an ^(F1)Asherah, just as Ahab king of Israel had done, and he ^(C3)worshiped all the heavenly ^(F2)lights and served them.

And ^(C1)he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "^(C2)In Jerusalem I will put My name."

He built altars for ^(C1)all the heavenly ^(F1)lights in ^(C2)the two courtyards of the house of the LORD.

And ^(C1)he made his son pass through the fire, ^(C2)interpreted signs, practiced divination, and used mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.

Then ^(C1)he put the carved image of Asherah that he had made in the house of which the LORD had said to David and to his son Solomon, "^(C2)In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever.

"And I ^(C1)will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will take care to act in accordance with everything that I have commanded them, and with all the Law that My servant Moses commanded them."

But they did not listen, and Manasseh ^(C1)encouraged them to do evil, more than the nations whom the LORD eliminated from the presence of the sons of Israel.