This is a simplified version of the Bible story found in 2 Chronicles 33:1-20, written for children to understand. For the original version, please refer to the Bible passage.
Once there was a boy named Manasseh who became a king when he was twelve years old. He was king for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. But, sadly, he did many things that made God unhappy.
Manasseh built altars to false gods and even burned his own sons as an offering to them. He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had broken down and erected altars to the Baals. He made Asheroth and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. He even built altars in the house of the Lord, where God said His name should be forever. He used fortune-telling, omens, and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and necromancers. He led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray to do more evil than the nations that God had destroyed before the people of Israel. He even carved an image of an idol and set it in the house of God, which made God very angry.
But one day, Manasseh was captured by the king of Assyria and taken to Babylon in chains. While he was there, he realized that he had made many mistakes and he prayed to God for help. God was kind and listened to his prayer. God brought him back to Jerusalem and made him king again.
Manasseh changed his ways and became a good king. He took away the false gods from the temple and destroyed the altars that he had made to them. He even built a big wall to protect the city and put commanders in all the fortified cities in Judah. He told the people to worship only the one true God.
Although Manasseh had made many mistakes in the past, he asked God for forgiveness and God forgave him. When he died, his son Amon became king.
Biblical Lessons
- No one is too far gone for God’s love and forgiveness.
- Humbling ourselves before God is a powerful act of faith that can lead to reconciliation with Him.
- Repentance involves not only asking for forgiveness but also making things right by taking concrete steps to change our ways and reconcile with those we have wronged.
- God can use difficult circumstances, such as being captured and taken into captivity, to bring us to a place of repentance and restoration.
- We are responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of those under our leadership, and we should be careful to lead them in a way that honors God.