2 Kings 21:1–7

Manasseh Succeeds Hezekiah

^1aManasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hephzibah.

^2aHe did evil in the sight of the Lord, ^baccording to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord dispossessed before the sons of Israel.

³For ^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.

^4aHe built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “^bIn Jerusalem I will put My name.”

⁵For he built altars for ^aall the host of heaven in ^bthe two courts of the house of the Lord.

^6aHe made his son pass through the fire, ^bpracticed witchcraft and used divination, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord provoking Him to anger.

⁷Then ^ahe set the carved image of Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the Lord said to David and to his son Solomon, “^bIn this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever.