Prayer of Manasseh

Wycliffe Bible

¹ Lord God Almighty of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of their just seed, [Lord God Almighty of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to the rightwise seed of them,]

² which madest heaven and earth, with all the adorning of those, [the which madest heaven and earth with all the adorning of them,]

³ which hast marked the sea by the word of thy commandment, which hast (en)closed (al)together the depth, or the deepness, of (the) waters, and hast marked them to (or hast sealed them by) thy fearedful and praiseable name, [that markedest the sea with the word of thy command, that closedest the deepness, and markedest to thy fearful and praiseable name,]

⁴ which all men dread, and tremble of the cheer of thy virtue, (whom all men fear, and tremble at the face of thy power, or before thy power,) [that all inwardly dread, and tremble from thy cheer of thy virtue,]

⁵ and the wrath, or the ire, of thy menacing on sinners is unsufferable, either may not be sustained. [and unsufferable wrath upon the sinful of thy threatening.]

⁶ Soothly the mercy of thy promise is full-great and unsearchable, either may not be comprehended by man’s wit (or cannot be comprehended by one’s understanding); [Forsooth without measure great and unsearchable the mercy of thy promise;]

⁷ for thou art the Lord most high over all (the) earth; thou art patient, or long-abiding, and much merciful, and doing penance, or repenting, on the malices of men. Truly, Lord, by thy goodness thou hast promised penance of forgiveness of sins, that is, forgiving of sins for (the) repenting of men; [for thou art Lord alder-highest upon all earth, long abiding and much merciful, and repenting upon the malices of men. Thou forsooth, Lord, after thy goodness hast promised penance of remission of sins;]

⁸ and thou, Lord, that art God of just men, hast not set penance to just men, (as) to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, (yea), to them that sinned not against thee, (but thou hast appointed repentance unto me that am a sinner). (and thou, Lord, who art God of the just, hast not set penance for the just, for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, yea, for those who sinned not against thee, but thou hast appointed repentance unto me, who is a sinner.) [and thou, God of rightwise men, hast not put penance to the rightwise, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to them that to thee sinned not.]

⁹ For I have sinned more than the number is of the gravel of the sea; [For I have sinned over the number of gravel of the sea;]

¹⁰ my wickednesses be multiplied. I am bowed (down) with much bond(s) (or with many bands) of iron, and no breathing is to me; for I have stirred thy wrathfulness, and I have done evil before thee, and I have set (up) abominations, and I have multiplied offensions (or offences). [multiplied be my wickednesses. I am much crooked with much bond of iron, and there is not again-breathing to me; for I stirred thy wrath, and evil before thee I did, setting abominations and multiplying offensions.]

¹¹ And now, I bow the knees of mine heart, and beseech goodness of (or from) thee, Lord. [And now I bow the knees of mine heart, praying of the goodness, Lord.]

¹² I have sinned, Lord; I have sinned, and I acknowledge my wickedness. [I sinned, Lord, I sinned, and my wickedness I know.]

¹³ I ask, and I pray thee, Lord; forgive thou to me, forgive thou to me; lose (or destroy) thou me not (al)together with my wickednesses, neither reserve thou evils to me without end. [I ask, praying thee, Lord; forgive to me, forgive to me, not together lose thou me with my wickednesses, nor without end reserve thou evils to me.]

¹⁴ For, Lord, by thy great mercy thou shalt save me (who is) unworthy, and I shall praise thee (for)ever(more) in all the days of my life; for all the virtue, that is, all those orders of angels, of heavens praiseth thee (or for all the powers of the heavens praise thee), and to thee is glory into worlds of worlds. Amen. [For (though) unworthy, thou shalt save me after thy great mercy, and I shall praise thee evermore all the days of my life; for thee praiseth all the virtue of heavens, and to thee is glory into worlds of worlds. Amen.]