Manasseh Humble Imself

One king sit down for foreign land, chain dey im body. Im crown don go. Im palace dey far. Bronze chain dey heavy for im wrist. And for di first time for im life, e begin pray.

Manasseh na di son of good King Hezekiah, di king wey clean di temple and call di whole land come keep Passover. But when Hezekiah die, Manasseh become king when e be only twelve years old. E go rule for fifty-five years, pass any other king of Judah. And from di beginning, e follow di other way. Everything wey im papa build up, Manasseh scatter am. Everything wey im papa scatter, Manasseh build am back.

E build back di shrines for di hilltops wey Hezekiah don destroy. E set up altars for Baal and make Asherah poles. E bow down to di stars for sky. E even build altars for dem inside di courts of Di Lord temple, di house where God don talk say, my name go dey here forever. E turn to fortune-telling, sorcery and people wey claim say dem dey talk with di dead. Di worst of all, e join di wicked worship of di nations wey dey round am, for di Valley of Ben-hinnom, e even pass im own sons through fire. And e set up one carved idol inside God own house. Di Bible talk say e lead Judah do evil pass di nations wey Di Lord drive comot before dem. God talk to Manasseh and im people. But dem no gree listen.

So Di Lord bring di commanders of di army of di king of Assyria, di big empire of dat time, come against dem. Dem catch Manasseh. Dem put hook for am, tie am with bronze chain, and drag am go Babylon. Imagine am. Di most powerful man for Judah, dem lead am go like prisoner. Everything wey e don trust, all dose altars and idols and fortune-tellers, no fit do anything for am now. And there, for inside im trouble, far from house, something happen wey nobody for expect. Manasseh begin seek di favour of Di Lord im God. E humble imself well well for di God of im papa-papa dem front. And e pray.

And God listen. After everything wey Manasseh don do, im prayer touch God. E hear im cry, and e bring am back to Jerusalem, to im kingdom. And then, di Bible talk, Manasseh know say Di Lord na God. E no only talk sorry. E change. E build back di outside wall of di city of David. E put commanders for di strong cities of Judah. E remove di foreign gods and carry di idol comot from Di Lord temple. E scatter all di altars wey e build for di temple hill and for Jerusalem, and throw dem comot from di city. E repair di altar of Di Lord, offer thank offerings on top am, and tell Judah make dem serve Di Lord, di God of Israel. No be everything e fit undo. Di people still dey offer sacrifice for di hilltop shrines, but now na to Di Lord. But di worst king for Judah story, God don hear am.

Manasseh name dey outside di Bible too. Di king of Assyria wey dem call Esarhaddon leave one record wey list twenty-two kings wey must send building materials for im palace. One of dem na Manasseh, king of Judah. Im son Ashurbanipal still name Manasseh among di kings wey bring tribute give am. Judah king na servant of di Assyrian empire for true.

Manasseh humble imself. You go find im story for Second Chronicles, chapter thirty-three, verse one reach twenty. One king wey do evil pass everybody, wey pray inside chain, and wey find out say God still dey hear. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Anybody dey wey you think say e don too far for God to reach, even you yourself?