697 – 642 BC reigns starts evil and ends good
1Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2And he did evil in the sight of YHVH by following the abominations of the nations that YHVH had driven out before the Israelites. 3For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, and he raised up altars for Baal. He made an Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, and he worshiped and served all the host of heaven.
4Manasseh also built altars in the house of YHVH, of which YHVH had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My Name.” 5In both courtyards of the house of YHVH, he built altars to all the host of heaven. 6He sacrificed his own son in the fire,a practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of YHVH, provoking Him to anger.
7Manasseh even took the carved Asherah pole he had made and set it up in the temple, of which YHVH had said to David and his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will establish My Name forever. 8I will never again cause the feet of the Israelites to wander from the land that I gave to their fathers, if only they are careful to do all I have commanded them—the whole Law that My servant Moses commanded them.”
9But the people did not listen and Manasseh led them astray, so that they did greater evil than the nations that YHVH had destroyed before the Israelites.
10And YHVH spoke through His servants the prophets, saying, 11“Since Manasseh king of Judah has committed all these abominations, acting more wickedly than the Amorites who preceded him, and with his idols has caused Judah to sin, 12this is what YHVH, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah that the news will reverberate in the ears of all who hear it.
13I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab, and I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes out a bowl—wiping it and turning it upside down. 14So I will forsake the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hands of their enemies. And they will become plunder and spoil to all their enemies, 15because they have done evil in My sight and have provoked Me to anger from the day their fathers came out of Egypt until this day.’ ”
16Moreover, Manasseh shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end, in addition to the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, doing evil in the sight of YHVH.
17As for the rest of the acts of Manasseh, along with all his accomplishments and the sin that he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?