2 Kings 21:7-17

7 He set the carved image for the asherah he had made in the house concerning which ADONAI had told David and Shlomo his son, "In this house and in Yerushalayim, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Isra'el, I will put my name forever.
8 Also I will not have the feet of Isra'el wander any longer out of the land which I gave their ancestors - if only they will take heed to obey every order I have given them and live in accordance with all the Torah that my servant Moshe ordered them to obey."
9 But they did not take heed; and M'nasheh misled them into doing even worse things than the nations ADONAI had destroyed ahead of the people of Isra'el.
10 ADONAI spoke this message through his servants the prophets:
11 "Because M'nasheh king of Y'hudah has done these disgusting things; because he has done things more wicked than anything the Emori, who were there before him, did; also because with his idols he made Y'hudah sin;
12 therefore here is what ADONAI the God of Isra'el, says: 'I am going to bring such calamity on Yerushalayim and Y'hudah that the ears of all who hear of it will tingle.
13 I will measure Yerushalayim with the same measuring cord that I used over Shomron, the same plumbline as for the house of Ach'av. I will scour Yerushalayim clean just as one scours a plate, scouring it and then turning it upside down.
14 I will abandon the remnant of my heritage, delivering them into the power of their enemies - they will become prey and plunder for all their enemies;
15 because they have done what is evil from my perspective and have provoked me to anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt to this very day.'"
16 Moreover, M'nasheh shed so much innocent blood that he flooded Yerushalayim from one end to the other - this in addition to his sin through which he caused Y'hudah to sin by doing what is evil from ADONAI's perspective.
17 Other activities of M'nasheh, all his accomplishments and the sin he committed are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah.

2 Kings 21:7-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 21

In this chapter a short history is given of the two wicked reigns of Manasseh and Amon; Manasseh is charged with great idolatry, with enchantments and witchcrafts, and seducing the children of Israel, 2Ki 21:1-9 and a prophecy is given out of the destruction of Jerusalem for his sins, 2Ki 21:10-16, and an account is given of his death and burial, 2Ki 21:17,18, and of his son and successor Amon, and the evils committed by him, 2Ki 21:19-22 and of the conspiracy against his life, which succeeded, and Josiah his son reigned in his stead, 2Ki 21:23-26.

Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.