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CHRONICLES
The prayer of Manasseh, king of Judah, when he was held captive in Babylon:
O Lord Almighty, God of our fathers:
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of their righteous seed; who made heaven and
earth, with all their adornment; who bound the sea by thy word of command; who
closed in the deep and sealed it by thy dreadful and glorious name; whom all men
fear, and tremble before the presence of thy power. 2 For no one can stand
before the magnificence of thy glory; and unbearable is the rage 3 of thine
anger toward sinners; 4 yet immeasurable and unsearchable is the mercy of thy
promise. For thou art the Lord Most High, compassionate, longsuffering, and of
great mercy; who also repentest over the wickedness of men. Thou, O Lord,
according to the abundance of thy goodness, 5 hast promised repentance and
forgiveness to those who have sinned against thee; and in the multitude of thy
tender mercies, thou hast appointed repentance to sinners for salvation. Thou
therefore, O Lord, mighty God, 6 hast not appointed repentance to the righteous:
to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who have not sinned against thee; but thou hast
appointed repentance to me, a sinner; 7 for I have sinned more in number than
the sand of the sea. My transgressions are multiplied, O Lord, my transgressions
are multiplied; and I am not worthy to look up and behold the height of heaven
for the multitude of my wrongdoings. 8 I am bowed down with many bonds of iron,
so that I cannot lift up my head and have no relief; for I have provoked thy
wrath, 9 and done that which is evil in thy sight. I have not done thy will, nor
kept thy commandments, setting up abominations and multiplying offences. 10 And
now I bow the knee of my heart, begging thee for mercy. I have sinned, O Lord, I
have sinned. I acknowledge my transgressions, and earnestly beseech thee:
Forgive me, O Lord, forgive me; and do not destroy me with my transgressions. Do
not be angry with me for ever, neither storing up evil for me, nor condemning me
to the depths of the earth. For thou, O God, art the God of those who repent;
and in me thou wilt manifest thy goodness; for unworthy as I am, thou wilt save
me according to thy great mercy; 11 and I will praise thee continually all the
days of my life. For all the powers of heaven praise thee; and thine be the
glory to the ages of ages. Amen.