The sin, downfall, and future punishment of the people of Judah originate with Manasseh. Despite being the son and successor of the incomparable Hezekiah (cf. 18:3-8), Manasseh took it upon himself to restore everything his father had abolished during his reign of more than fifty years: local cults, idolatry, pagan customs, and the contamination of worship with statues and altars in the very Temple of Jerusalem. There is a crucial detail worth noting. While denouncing the king’s harmful actions and blaming him for the evils that will befall the people, the Deuteronomist suggests that the people follow him willingly (8ff); this serves as a reminder to the narrator that the people have been sinful and rebellious since they left Egypt (15). Once again, regarding Manasseh’s behavior, the prophecy that Isaiah had already pronounced before Hezekiah gains strength: Judah and Jerusalem will not have a good end (10-15).