1. Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah.
2. He did that which was evil in the Lord’s sight, after the abominations of the nations whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.
3. For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he raised up altars for Baal, and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel did, and worshipped all the army of the sky, and served them.
4. He built altars in the Lord’s house, of which the Lord said, “I will put my name in Jerusalem.”
5. He built altars for all the army of the sky in the two courts of the Lord’s house.
6. He made his son to pass through the fire, practised sorcery, used enchantments, and dealt with those who had familiar spirits, and with wizards. He did much evil in the Lord’s sight, to provoke him to anger.
7. He set the engraved image of Asherah that he had made in the house of which the Lord said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever;