1.Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Hephzibah. 2.He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel. 3.For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4.He built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem I will put My name." 5.For he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 6.He made his son pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and used divination, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD provoking Him to anger. 7.Then he 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, "In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever. 8. "And I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe 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 seduced them to do evil more than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel.

Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked Him to jealousy more than all that their fathers had done, with the sins which they committed. 23.For they also built for themselves high places and sacred pillars and Asherim on every high hill and beneath every luxuriant tree. 24. There were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel.

"Thus says the Lord, 'For three transgressions of Israel and for four I will not revoke its punishment, because they sell the rightesous for money and the needy for a pair of sandals. These who pant after the very dust of the earth on the head of the helpless also turn aside the way of the humble; and a man and his father resort to the same girl in order to profane my holy name."

Hear this, you who trample the needy, to do away with the humble of the land, 5.saying, "When will the new moon be over, So that we may sell grain, And the sabbath, that we may open the wheat market, To make the bushel smaller and the shekel bigger, And to cheat with dishonest scales, 6. So as to buy the helpless for money And the needy for a pair of sandals, And that we may sell the refuse of the wheat?"

Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is his ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your inquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does nto hear. For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken falsehood, your tongue mutters wickedness.

"The remnant of Israel will do no wrong And tell no lies, Nor will a deceitful tongue Be found in their mouths; For they will feed and lie down With no one to make them tremble."

22."Therefore say to the house of Israel, `Thus says the Lord GOD, "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23. "I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD," declares the Lord GOD, "when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. 24. "For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. 25."Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26. "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27."I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28."You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. 29."Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. 30."I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31."Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. 32."I am not doing this for your sake," declares the Lord GOD, "let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!" 33.`Thus says the Lord GOD, "On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt. 34."The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. 35."They will say, `This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.' 36."Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, the LORD, have spoken and will do it."