Study Desk

^(C1)Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem.

^(C1)He did evil in the sight of the LORD according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel.

For ^(C1)he rebuilt the high places which his father Hezekiah had torn down; ^(C2)he also set up altars for the Baals and made ^(F1)Asherim, and he worshiped all the heavenly ^(F2)lights and served them.

^(C1)He built altars in the house of the LORD of which the LORD had said, "My name shall be ^(C2)in Jerusalem forever."

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

^(C1)He also made his sons pass through the fire in the Valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery, and ^(C2)dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.

Then he put ^(C1)the carved image of the idol which he had made in the house of God, of which God had said to David and 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 will not remove the foot of Israel again from the land ^(C1)which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will take care to do everything that I have commanded them according to all the Law, the statutes, and the ordinances given through Moses."

So Manasseh encouraged Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel.