O Lord, Almighty God of our fathers,

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of their righteous seed;

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

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; whom all men fear, and tremble before thy power;

for the majesty of thy glory cannot be borne,

and thine angry threatening toward sinners is importable:

but thy merciful promise is unmeasurable and unsearchable;

for thou art the most high Lord,

of great compassion, longsuffering, very merciful,

and repentest of the evils of men.¹

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,

as to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob,

which have not sinned against thee;

but thou hast appointed repentance unto me that am a sinner:

for I have sinned above the number of the sands of the sea.

My transgressions, O Lord, are multiplied:

my transgressions are multiplied,

and I am not worthy to behold and see the height of heaven

for the multitude of mine iniquities.

I am bowed down with many iron bands,

that I cannot lift up mine head, neither have any release:

for I have provoked thy wrath, and done evil before thee:

I did not thy will, neither kept I thy commandments:

I have set up abominations, and have multiplied offences.

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

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

wherefore, 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 to the lower parts of the earth.

For thou art the God, even the God of them that repent;

and in me thou wilt shew all thy goodness:

for thou wilt save me, that am unworthy, according to thy great mercy.

Therefore I will praise thee for ever all the days of my life:

for all the powers of the heavens do praise thee,

and thine is the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

“The Prayer of Manasseh,” written 200-100 B.C., as translated in the old King James Bible

¹ Or “relenting at human misfortunes”

See more notes and a different translation of this ancient poem.