2 Kings 21:1-9 - Evil Manasseh Reigns After Godly Hezekiah

¹ Twelve years old, was Manasseh when he began to reign, and, fifty-five years, reigned he in Jerusalem, - and the name of his mother was Hephzibah. ² And he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, - after the abominable practices of the nations, whom Yahweh had dispossessed from before the sons of Israel. ³ He again built the high places, which Hezekiah his father had destroyed, - and reared altars to Baal, and made a Sacred Stem, as did Ahab, king of Israel, and bowed down to all the army of the heavens, and served them. ⁴ And he used to build altars in the house of Yahweh, - concerning which Yahweh had said, - In Jerusalem, will I put my Name. ⁵ And he built altars to all the army of the heavens, - in the two courts of the house of Yahweh; ⁶ and caused his son to pass through the fire, and practiced hidden arts and used divination, and dealt with a familiar spirit and wizards, - he exceeded in doing the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, provoking him to anger;

⁷ and he set the image of the Sacred Stem which he had made, - in the house, of which Yahweh had said unto David, and unto Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my Name, unto times age-abiding; ⁸ and I will not again let the foot of Israel wander away from the soil which I gave unto their fathers. Only if they take heed to do according to all that I have commanded them, even to the extent of all the law which, my servant Moses, commanded them. ⁹ But they hearkened not, - and Manasseh led them astray to do the thing that was wicked, more than the nations which Yahweh destroyed from before the sons of Israel.