Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign in Jerusalem. He ruled for fifty-five years, and his mother's name was Hephzibah. Manasseh did evil in the sight of the Lord by following the wicked practices of the nations that God had driven out before the Israelites.

He rebuilt the high places that King Hezekiah had torn down and erected altars to Baal and Asherah, just as King Ahab of Israel had done before him. Manasseh also worshiped all the heavenly host and served them. In Jerusalem, he built altars in the house of the Lord, where God said his name would be honored. He even built two more altars in the courts of the temple for all the idols in the sky.

Manasseh's wickedness knew no bounds. He made his own son pass through fire, practiced divination and sorcery, consulted mediums and spiritists, and committed many other evil acts to provoke God's anger. Manasseh also set up a carved image of Asherah in the very house where God had chosen to put his name.

The Lord spoke to his prophets, condemning Manasseh for surpassing all the Amorites' wickedness and leading Judah astray with idols. Because of this, the Lord declared that he would bring great evil upon Jerusalem and Judah. He would abandon them to their enemies, who would plunder and desecrate them.

The Lord's anger burned against Manasseh because he had shed innocent blood throughout Jerusalem, filling it from end to end. His sin was compounded by his wicked practices in the sight of the Lord. The rest of Manasseh's story is recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah.

Manasseh died and was buried in his own garden, known as the Garden of Uzza. His son Amon succeeded him. Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign and ruled for two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Meshullemeth, daughter of Haruz from Jotbah.

Amon did evil in the sight of the Lord just like his father Manasseh had done. He followed all the same wicked paths, serving and worshiping idols. Amon abandoned the Lord God of his ancestors, refusing to follow the path that God had ordained for him.

The servants of King Amon conspired against him and murdered him in his own house. The people of the land killed those who had plotted against Amon's life. They then made Josiah, Amon's son, king in his place. The rest of Amon's story is recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah.

Amon was buried in his tomb in the Garden of Uzza, and Josiah succeeded him as king.