Prayer of Manasseh

Common English Bible

1 Lord Almighty, God of our ancestors,
        God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
        and their righteous children,
²     you made heaven and earth
        with all their beauty.
³ You set limits for the sea
    by speaking your command.
You closed the bottomless pit,
    and sealed it by your powerful
    and glorious name.
⁴ All things fear you and tremble
in your presence,
⁵     because no one can endure
    the brightness of your glory.
    No one can resist the fury
    of your threat against sinners.

^bYou, Lord, according to
your gentle grace,
    promised forgiveness to those
    who are sorry for their sins.
In your great mercy,
    you allowed sinners to turn
    from their sins and find salvation.
⁸ Therefore, Lord,
God of those who do what is right,
    you didn’t offer
    Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
    who didn’t sin against you,
    a chance to change their hearts and lives.
But you offer me, the sinner,
the chance to change my heart and life,
^9 abecause my sins outnumbered
the grains of sand by the sea.
My sins are many, Lord; they are many.
I am not worthy to look up,
to gaze into heaven
    because of my many sins.

^9 bNow, Lord, I suffer justly.
    I deserve the troubles I encounter.
    Already I’m caught in a trap.
¹⁰ I’m held down by iron chains
    so that I can’t lift up my head
    because of my sins.
There’s no relief for me,
    because I made you angry,
    doing wrong in front of your face,
    setting up false gods
    and committing offenses.