2 Kings 21-22 - LSB - Legacy Standard Bible

2 Kings 21-22

Manasseh Reigns over Judah

^aManasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 ^aAnd he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, ^baccording to the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh dispossessed before the sons of Israel. 3 Indeed, ^ahe rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and ^bhe erected altars for Baal and made an ¹Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and ^cworshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 ^aAnd he built altars in the house of Yahweh, of which Yahweh had said, “^bIn Jerusalem I will put My name.” 5 Indeed, he built altars for ^aall the host of heaven in ^bthe two courts of the house of Yahweh. 6 ^aHe even made his son pass through the fire, ^bpracticed soothsaying and interpreted omens, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much that was evil in the sight of Yahweh provoking Him to anger. 7 Then ^ahe put the graven image of Asherah, which he had made, in the house of which Yahweh had said to David and to Solomon his son, “^bIn this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever. 8 And I ^awill not make the foot of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers, if only 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 ^aled them astray in order to do more evil than the nations whom Yahweh destroyed before the sons of Israel.

Yahweh Brings Calamity on Israel

10 Then Yahweh spoke by the hand of His slaves the prophets, saying, 11 “^aBecause Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations—^bhe has done evil more than all the Amorites did who were before him—and ^chas also made Judah sin ^dwith his idols, 12 therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity on Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, ^aboth his ears will tingle. 13 ^aAnd I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the level of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish—he wipes it and turns it upside down. 14 And I will abandon the remnant of My inheritance and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they will become as plunder and spoil to all their enemies; 15 because they have done what is evil in My sight, and have been provoking Me to anger since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.’”
16 ^aMoreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin ^bwith which he made Judah sin, in doing what is evil in the sight of Yahweh. 17 ^aNow the rest of the acts of Manasseh and all that he did and his sin which he sinned, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 18 ^aAnd Manasseh slept with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his own house, ^bin the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son became king in his place.

Amon Reigns over Judah

19 ^aAmon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. 20 And he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, ^aas Manasseh his father had done. 21 And he walked in all the way that his father had walked and served the idols that his father had served and worshiped them. 22 So ^ahe forsook Yahweh, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of Yahweh. 23 ^aThen the servants of Amon conspired against him and put the king to death in his own house. 24 Then ^athe people of the land struck down all those who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place. 25 Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 26 And he was buried in his grave ^ain the garden of Uzza, and Josiah his son became king in his place.

Josiah Reigns over Judah

^aJosiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of ^bBozkath. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh and walked in all the way of his father David and did not ^aturn aside to the right or to the left.
3 Now it happened ^ain the eighteenth year of King Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam the scribe, to the house of Yahweh saying, 4 “^aGo up to Hilkiah the high priest that he may ¹count the money brought into the house of Yahweh which the doorkeepers have gathered from the people. 5 ^aAnd let them give it into the hand of those who do the work, who have the oversight of the house of Yahweh, and let them give it to those who do the work, who are in the house of Yahweh, to repair the ¹damages of the house, 6 to the craftsmen and the builders and the masons and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the house. 7 Only ^ano accounting shall be made with them for the money given into their hands, for they deal faithfully.”

Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law

8 Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “^aI have found the book of the law in the house of Yahweh.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan and he read it. 9 Then Shaphan the scribe came to the king and responded to the king with a word and said, “Your servants have poured out the money that was found in the house and have given it into the hand of those who do the work, who have the oversight of the house of Yahweh.” 10 Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king.
11 Now it happened that when the king heard the words of the book of the law, ^ahe tore his clothes. 12 Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, ^aAhikam the son of Shaphan, ¹^bAchbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, 13 “Go, inquire of Yahweh for me and the people and all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found, for ^agreat is the wrath of Yahweh which is set aflame against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”

Huldah Says Yahweh Is Bringing Evil

14 So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of ¹^aTikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the ^bSecond Quarter); and they spoke to her. 15 And she said to them, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Say to the man who sent you to me, 16 thus says Yahweh, “Behold, I ^aam bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. 17 ^aBecause they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath is set aflame against this place, and it shall not be quenched.”’ 18 But to ^athe king of Judah who sent you to inquire of Yahweh thus you shall say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “Regarding the words which you have heard, 19 ^abecause your heart was soft and ^byou humbled yourself before Yahweh when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become ^can object of horror, and a ^dcurse, and you have ^etorn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,” declares Yahweh. 20 “Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and ^ayou will be gathered to your grave in peace, so your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place.”’” So they brought back word to the king.