Then he set up the Lord’s altar and offered fellowship offerings and thank offerings on it. Manasseh gave a command for all the people of Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel.
I have made a special agreement with Abraham. I did this so he would command his children and his descendants [105] to live the way the Lord wants them to. I did this so they would live right and be fair. Then I, the Lord, can give him the things I promised.”
Then Elijah said to all the people, “Now, come to me.” So all the people gathered around Elijah. The Lord’s altar had been torn down. So Elijah fixed it.
Asa took away the strange altars that were used to worship idols. Asa took away the high places, {\cf2\super [179]} and smashed the memorial stones. {\cf2\super [180]} And Asa broke down the Asherah poles. {\cf2\super [181]}
Asa commanded the people of Judah to follow the Lord God. He is the God their ancestors {\cf2\super [182]} followed. And Asa commanded them to obey the Lord’s laws and commandments.
Then they went to King Hezekiah. They said to him, “King Hezekiah, we cleaned all the Lord’s temple {\cf2\super [344]} and the altar {\cf2\super [345]} for burning offerings and all the things in the temple. We cleaned the table for the rows of bread with all the things used for that table.
Hezekiah said, “Now you people of Judah have given yourselves to the Lord. Come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the Lord’s temple. {\cf2\super [360]} ” Then the people brought sacrifices and thank offerings. Any person who wanted to, also brought burnt offerings.
Manasseh encouraged the people of Judah and the people living in Jerusalem to do wrong. They were worse than the nations that were in the land before the Israelites—and the Lord destroyed those people!