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

¹ Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign. And he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hephzibah. ² And he did the evil in the sight of Jehovah, after the abominations of the heathen whom Jehovah cast out before the sons of Israel. ³ For he built up again the high places which his father Hezekiah had destroyed. And he reared up altars for Baal, and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel did. And he worshiped all the host of heaven, and served them. ⁴ And he built altars in the house of Jehovah, of which Jehovah said, In Jerusalem I will put My name. ⁵ And he built altars for all the host of the heavens in the two courts of the house of Jehovah. ⁶ And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times and used fortune-tellers. And he dealt with familiar spirits and wizards. He worked much wickedness in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke Him to anger.

⁷ And he set a graven image of the Asherah which he had made in the house, of which Jehovah had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever. ⁸ And I will not again make the feet of Israel wander any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will be careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the Law that My servant Moses commanded them. ⁹ But they did not listen. And Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than the nations ever did, whom Jehovah destroyed before the sons of Israel.