THE PRAYER OF MANASSEH
1
1 O Lord Almighty, that art in heaven,
Thou God of our fathers,
Of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob,
And of their righteous seed;
2 Who hast made heaven and earth,
With all the ornament thereof;
3 Who hast bound the sea by the word of thy commandment;
Who hast shut up the deep,
And sealed it by thy terrible and glorious name;
4 Whom all things fear,
Yea, tremble before thy power;
5 For the majesty of thy glory cannot be borne,
And the anger of thy threatening toward sinners is importable:
6 Thy merciful promise is unmeasurable and unsearchable;
7 For thou art the Lord Most High,
Of great compassion, long-suffering and abundant in mercy,
And repentest of bringing evils upon men.
8 Thou, O Lord, according to thy great goodness
Hast promised repentance and forgiveness
To them that have sinned against thee:
And of thine infinite mercies
Hast appointed repentance unto sinners,
That they may be saved.
Thou therefore, O Lord, that art the God of the just,
Hast not appointed repentance to the just,
To Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, who have not sinned against thee;
But thou hast appointed repentance unto me that am a sinner:
9 For I have sinned above the number of the sands of the sea.
My transgressions are multiplied, O Lord: my transgressions are multiplied,
And I am not worthy to behold and see the height of heaven
For the multitude of mine iniquities.
10 I am bowed down with many iron bands,
That I cannot lift up my head by reason of my sins,
Neither have I any respite:
For I have provoked thy wrath,
And done that which is evil before thee:
I did not thy will, neither kept I thy commandments:
I have set up abominations, and have multiplied detestable things.
11 Now therefore I bow the knee of my heart,
Beseeching thee of grace.
12 I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned,
And I acknowledge mine iniquities:
13 But, I humbly beseech thee,
Forgive me, O Lord, forgive me,
And destroy me not with mine iniquities.
Be not angry with me forever, by reserving evil for me;
Neither condemn me into the lower parts of the earth.
For thou, O Lord, art the God of them that repent;
14 And in me thou wilt show all thy goodness:
For thou wilt save me, that am unworthy, according to thy great mercy.
15 And I will praise thee forever all the days of my life:
For all the host of heaven doth sing thy praise,
And thine is the glory forever and ever. Amen.