Prayer of Manasseh 1

1 Lord Almighty, God of our fathers—of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of their righteous descendants—

2 you made heaven and earth, with all that adorns them.

3 You bound the sea by the word of your decree; you closed the deep and sealed it with your fearsome and glorious name.

4 Everything shudders and trembles before your power.

5 No one can endure the majesty of your glory, and no one can withstand the anger of your threat against sinners.

6 Yet the mercy you promise is immeasurable and beyond searching out.

7 For you are the Lord Most High, compassionate, slow to anger and rich in mercy, and you change your mind about harm to people.

8 Therefore you, Lord, the God of the righteous, did not appoint a change of heart for the righteous—for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who did not sin against you—but you appointed a change of heart for me, a sinner.

9 For I have sinned beyond the number of the sand of the sea. My lawless deeds have multiplied, Lord; they have multiplied. I am not worthy to look up and see the height of heaven because of the multitude of my wrongdoings.

10 I am bent low under many iron chains, unable to raise my head because of my sins. There is no relief for me, because I provoked your anger and did evil before you, setting up detestable things and multiplying provocations.

11 Now I bend the knee of my heart, begging for your kindness.

12 I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned, and I know my lawless deeds.

13 I ask, pleading with you: Forgive me, Lord, forgive me! Do not destroy me along with my lawless deeds. Do not remain angry forever, storing up harm for me, and do not condemn me to the lowest places of the earth. For you, Lord, are the God of those who turn back.

14 You will show your goodness in me, for unworthy as I am, you will save me according to your great mercy.

15 I will praise you continually, all the days of my life, for all the powers of the heavens sing praise to you, and the glory is yours forever. Amen.