The Prayer of Manasseh 1

Prayer of Manasseh 1

Ascription of Praise

¹O Lord Almighty,[#Ex 3.6; 2 Chr 33.12, 13; Sir 10.19; Mt 6.9; Lk 11.2]

God of our ancestors,

of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob

and of their righteous offspring,

²you who made heaven and earth

with all their order,

³who shackled the sea by your word of command,[#Job 38.8–11]

who confined the deep

and sealed it with your terrible and glorious name,

⁴at whom all things shudder

and tremble before your power,

⁵for your glorious splendor cannot be borne,

and the wrath of your threat to sinners is unendurable;

⁶yet immeasurable and unsearchable[#Rom 11.33; Eph 3.8]

is your promised mercy,

⁷for you are the Lord Most High,[#Ps 86.15; Joel 2.13; Sir 2.11; 2 Cor 7.10]

of great compassion, long-suffering, and very merciful,

and you relent at human suffering.

O Lord, according to your great goodness

you have promised repentance and forgiveness

to those who have sinned against you,

and in the multitude of your mercies

you have appointed repentance for sinners,

so that they may be saved.

⁸Therefore you, O Lord, God of the righteous,[#Wis 12.19; Lk 15.7; 18.13]

have not appointed repentance for the righteous,

for Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, who did not sin against you,

but you have appointed repentance for me, who am a sinner.

Confession of Sins

⁹For the sins I have committed are more in number than the sand of the sea;[#Ezra 9.6; Ps 40.12; Isa 59.12]

my transgressions are multiplied, O Lord, they are multiplied!

I am not worthy to look up and see the height of heaven

because of the multitude of my iniquities.

¹⁰I am weighted down with many an iron fetter,[#2 Kings 21.2, 7, 11; 2 Chr 33.7, 11; Sir 17.25]

so that I am rejected because of my sins,

and I have no relief,

for I have provoked your wrath

and have done what is evil in your sight,

setting up abominations and multiplying offenses.

Supplication for Pardon

¹¹And now I bend the knee of my heart,

imploring you for your kindness.

¹²I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned,[#Ps 51.3]

and I acknowledge my transgressions.

¹³I earnestly implore you,[#Ps 63.9; 88.6]

forgive me, O Lord, forgive me!

Do not destroy me with my transgressions!

Do not be angry with me forever or store up evil for me;

do not condemn me to the depths of the earth.

For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent,

¹⁴and in me you will manifest your goodness,

for, unworthy as I am, you will save me according to your great mercy,

¹⁵and I will praise you continually all the days of my life.[#1 Chr 29.11; Ps 103.21; 148.2; Song of Thr 38; 1 Esd 4.59]

For all the host of heaven sings your praise,

and yours is the glory forever. Amen.