歷代志下33:1-25

 

33:1 瑪拿西登基的時候年十二歲，在耶路撒冷作王五十五年。
33:2 他行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，效法耶和華在以色列人面前趕出的外邦人那可憎的事，
33:3 重新建築他父希西家所拆毀的邱壇，又為巴力築壇，作木偶，且敬拜事奉天上的萬象，
33:4 在耶和華的殿宇中築壇─耶和華曾指著這殿說：「我的名必永遠在耶路撒冷。」
33:5 他在耶和華殿的兩院中為天上的萬象築壇，
33:6 並在欣嫩子谷使他的兒女經火，又觀兆，用法術，行邪術，立交鬼的和行巫術的，多行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，惹動他的怒氣，
33:7 又在上帝殿內立雕刻的偶像。上帝曾對大衛和他兒子所羅門說：「我在以色列各支派中所選擇的耶路撒冷和這殿，必立我的名直到永遠。
33:8 以色列人若謹守遵行我藉摩西所吩咐他們的一切法度、律例、典章，我就不再使他們挪移離開我所賜給他們列祖之地。」
33:9 瑪拿西引誘猶大和耶路撒冷的居民，以致他們行惡比耶和華在以色列人面前所滅的列國更甚。
33:10 耶和華警戒瑪拿西和他的百姓，他們卻是不聽。
33:11 所以耶和華使亞述王的將帥來攻擊他們，用鐃鉤鉤住瑪拿西，用銅鍊鎖住他，帶到巴比倫去。
33:12 他在急難的時候，就懇求耶和華─他的上帝，且在他列祖的上帝面前極其自卑。
33:13 他祈禱耶和華，耶和華就允准他的祈求，垂聽他的禱告，使他歸回耶路撒冷，仍坐國位。瑪拿西這才知道惟獨耶和華是上帝。
33:14 此後，瑪拿西在大衛城外，從谷內基訓西邊直到魚門口，建築城牆，環繞俄斐勒，這牆築得甚高；又在猶大各堅固城內設立勇敢的軍長；
33:15 並除掉外邦人的神像與耶和華殿中的偶像，又將他在耶和華殿的山上和耶路撒冷所築的各壇都拆毀拋在城外；
33:16 重修耶和華的祭壇，在壇上獻平安祭、感謝祭，吩咐猶大人事奉耶和華─以色列的上帝。
33:17 百姓卻仍在邱壇上獻祭，只獻給耶和華─他們的上帝。
33:18 瑪拿西其餘的事和禱告他上帝的話，並先見奉耶和華─以色列上帝的名警戒他的言語，都寫在以色列諸王記上。
33:19 他的禱告，與上帝怎樣應允他，他未自卑以前的罪愆過犯，並在何處建築邱壇，設立亞舍拉和雕刻的偶像，都寫在何賽的書上。
33:20 瑪拿西與他列祖同睡，葬在自己的宮院裡。他兒子亞們接續他作王。
33:21 亞們登基的時候年二十二歲，在耶路撒冷作王二年。
33:22 他行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，效法他父瑪拿西所行的，祭祀事奉他父瑪拿西所雕刻的偶像，
33:23 不在耶和華面前像他父瑪拿西自卑。這亞們所犯的罪越犯越大。
33:24 他的臣僕背叛，在宮裡殺了他。
33:25 但國民殺了那些背叛亞們王的人，立他兒子約西亞接續他作王。

 

 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. ² He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. ³ He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. ⁴ He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever.” ⁵ In both courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. ⁶ He sacrificed his children in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced divination and witchcraft, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

⁷ He took the image he had made and put it in God’s temple, of which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever. ⁸ I will not again make the feet of the Israelites leave the land I assigned to your ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them concerning all the laws, decrees and regulations given through Moses.” ⁹ But Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.

¹⁰ The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. ¹¹ So the Lord brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. ¹² In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. ¹³ And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.

¹⁴ Afterward he rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David, west of the Gihon spring in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate and encircling the hill of Ophel; he also made it much higher. He stationed military commanders in all the fortified cities in Judah.

¹⁵ He got rid of the foreign gods and removed the image from the temple of the Lord, as well as all the altars he had built on the temple hill and in Jerusalem; and he threw them out of the city. ¹⁶ Then he restored the altar of the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offerings and thank offerings on it, and told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁷ The people, however, continued to sacrifice at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.

¹⁸ The other events of Manasseh’s reign, including his prayer to his God and the words the seers spoke to him in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, are written in the annals of the kings of Israel.^{[a] 19} His prayer and how God was moved by his entreaty, as well as all his sins and unfaithfulness, and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself—all these are written in the records of the seers.^{[b] 20} Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.

²¹ Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. ²² He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. Amon worshiped and offered sacrifices to all the idols Manasseh had made. ²³ But unlike his father Manasseh, he did not humble himself before the Lord; Amon increased his guilt.

²⁴ Amon’s officials conspired against him and assassinated him in his palace. ²⁵ Then the people of the land killed all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah his son king in his place.

 

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    瑪拿西是一位特別的猶大王，他因為不信上帝而遭遇到巴比倫王的擄去，也因為在苦難中悔改，上帝就拯救了他！而他的兒子亞們卻不是如此，因為不信上帝又不悔改，最後被自己的臣僕所殺害。

 

    從這兩王的遭遇，讓我們看見自卑悔改是很重要！主耶穌也教導門徒說：「你們中間誰為大，誰就要作你們的用人。凡自高的，必降為卑；自卑的，必升為高。」(馬太福音23:11-12)

 

    彼得前書說的更好：「你們年幼的，也要順服年長的。就是你們眾人也都要以謙卑束腰，彼此順服；因為上帝阻擋驕傲的人，賜恩給謙卑的人。所以，你們要自卑，服在上帝大能的手下，到了時候，他必叫你們升高。」（5:5-6）

 

    因此，我們當求聖靈讓我們認識自己的本相，如此才會感受到上帝的偉大！正如神學大師加爾文所說：「認識上帝與認識人是互相的！」