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 He did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the nations whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. ³ For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made an Asherah, as did Ahab king of Israel, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served them. ⁴ He built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, "I will put my name in Jerusalem." ⁵ He built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. ⁶ He made his son to pass through the fire, and practiced sorcery, and practiced divination, and consulted mediums, and spiritists: he worked much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

⁷ He set the engraved image of Asherah, that he had made, in the house of which the LORD 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, will I put my name forever; ⁸ neither will I cause the feet of Israel to wander any more out of the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe 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 that which is evil more than the nations did whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.