PRAYER OF MANASSES 1

1

¹O LORD Almighty, that art in heaven, thou God of our fathers, of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and of their righteous seed;

²who hast made heaven and earth, with all the ornament thereof;

³who 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;

⁴whom all things fear, yea, tremble before thy power;

⁵for the majesty of thy glory cannot be borne, and the anger of thy threatening toward sinners is importable:

⁶thy merciful promise is unmeasurable and unsearchable;

⁷for thou art the Lord Most High, of great compassion, longsuffering and abundant in mercy, and repentest of bringing evils upon men.

⁸Thou, 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, which have not sinned against thee; but thou hast appointed repentance unto me that am a sinner:

⁹for 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.

¹⁰I am bowed down with many iron bands, that I cannot lift up mine 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.

¹¹Now therefore I bow the knee of mine heart, beseeching thee of grace.

¹²I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, and I acknowledge mine iniquities:

¹³but, I humbly beseech thee, forgive me, O Lord, forgive me, and destroy me not with mine iniquities. Be not angry with me for ever, 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;

¹⁴and in me thou wilt shew all thy goodness: for thou wilt save me, that am unworthy, according to thy great mercy.

¹⁵And I will praise thee for ever all the days of my life: for all the host of heaven doth sing thy praise, and thine is the glory for ever and ever. Amen.