The Prayer of Manasseh

1 ΚΥΡΙΕ παντοκράτωπ, ὁ Θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν τοῦʼ Αβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ καὶ τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτῶν τοῦ δικαίου.

1 O LORD Almighty, the God of our fathers Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and of their righteous seed;

2 Ὁ ποιήσας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν σὺν πάντι τῷ κόσμῳ αὐτῶν.

2 that have made the heaven and the earth with all their adornment;

3 Ὁ πεδήσας τὴν θάλασσαν τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ προστάγματός σου, ὁ κλείσας τὴν ἄβυσσον καὶ σφραγισάμενος αὐτὴν τῷ φοβερῷ καὶ ἐνδόξῳ ὀνόματί σου·

3 that have bound the sea with the word of your commandment; that have closed the abyss and sealed it with your fearful and glorious name;

4 ὃν πάντα φρίσσει καὶ τρέμει ἀπὸ προσώπου δυνάμεώς σου,

4 whom all things revere and tremble before the face of your power,

5 ὅτι ἄστεκτος ἡ μεγαλοπρέπεια τῆς δόξης σου, καὶ ἀνυπόστατος ἡ ὀργὴ τῆς ἐπὶ ἁμαρτωλοὺς ἀπειλῆς σου·

5 because the magnificence of your glory is unendurable and irresistible the wrath of your threatening against sinners:

6 ἀμέτρητόν τε καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστον τὸ ἔλεος τῆς ἐπαγγελίας σου·

6 the mercy of your promise is both immeasurable and inscrutable;

7 σὺ γὰρ εἶ Κύριος ὕψιστος, εὔσπλαγχνος, μακρόθυμος καὶ πολυέλεος, μετανοῶν ἐπὶ κακίαις ἀνθρώπων. Σὺ, Κύριε, κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς χρηστότητός σου ἐπηγγείλω μετάνοιαν καὶ ἄφεσιν τοῖς ἡμαρτηκόσιν σοι, καὶ τῷ πλήθει τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν σου ὥρισας μετάνοιαν ἁμαρτωλοῖς εἰς σωτηρίαν.

7 for you are the Lord most high, compassionate, longsuffering, and most merciful, repenting of the evils of men. You, Lord, according to the abundance of your goodness, have proclaimed repentance and forgiveness to those that have sinned against you, and in the multitude of your kindnesses you have decreed for sinners repentance to salvation.

8 Σὺ οὖν, Κύριε, ὁ Θεὸς τῶν δικαίων, οὐκ ἔθου μετάνοιαν δικαίοις, τῷ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ, τοῖς οὐχ ἡμαρτηκόσιν σοι,

8 Surely you, O Lord, the God of the just, have not appointed repentance for the just, for Abraham and Isaac and Jacob who have not sinned against you; but you have appointed repentance for me a sinner:

9 Ἐπλήθυναν αἱ ἀνομίαι μου, Κύριε, ἐπλήθυναν, καὶ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἄξιος ἀτενίσαι καὶ ἰδεῖν τὸ ὕψος τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀπὸ πλήθους τῶν ἀδικιῶν μου,

9 for I have sinned above the number of the sand of the sea. My transgressions are multiplied, O Lord, they are multiplied, and I am not worthy to look at or see the height of heaven, for the multitude of my iniquities,

10 κατακαμπτόμενος πολλῷ δεσμῷ σιδηρῷ εἰς τὸ μὴ ἀνανεῦσαι τὴν κεφαλήν μου, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν μοι ἄνεσις, διότι παρώργισα τὸν θυμόν σου, καὶ τὸ πονηρὸν ἐνώπιόν σου ἐποίησα, μὴ ποιήσας τὸ θέλημά σου καὶ μὴ φυλάξας τὰ προστάγματά σου, στήσας βδελύγματα καὶ πληθύνας προσοχθίσματα.

10 being bowed down by many iron bonds, so that I can’t uplift my head, and there is no release for me, because I have provoked your anger, and have done evil before you, not doing your will, nor keeping your commandments, but setting up abominations and multiplying offences.

11 Καὶ νῦν κλίνω γόνυ καρδίας μου δεόμενος τῆς παθὰ σοῦ χρηστότητος· ἡμάρτηκα,

11 And now I bend the knee of my heart, beseeching your goodness:

12 Κύριε, ἡμάρτηκα, καὶ τὰς ἀνομίας μου ἐγὼ γινώσκω. Ἀλλʼ αἰτοῦμαι δεόμενός σου· ἄνες μοι,

12 I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned, and I acknowledge my transgressions:

13 Κύριε, ἄνες μοι, καὶ μὴ συναπολέσῃς με ταῖς ἀνομίαις μου, μηδὲ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα μηνίσας τηρήσῃς τὰ κακά μαι, μηδὲ καταδικάσῃς με ἐν τοῖς κατωτάτοις τῆς γῆς, διότι σὺ εἶ Θεὸς, Θεὶς τῶν μετανοούντων.

13 but I pray and beseech you, release me, Lord, release me, and destroy me not with my transgressions; keep not evils for me in anger for ever, nor condemn me to the lowest parts of the earth: because you are God, the God of the repenting; and in me you will show all your benevolence, for that me unworthy you will save, according to your great mercy:

14 Καὶ ἐν ἐμοὶ δείξεις πᾶσαν τῆν ἀγαθωσύνην σου, ὁτι ἀνάξιον ὄντα σώσεις με κατὰ τὸ πολὺ ἔλεός σου.

14 In the English, this verse is part of verse 13.

15 Καὶ αἰνέσω σε διὰ παντὸς ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῆς ζωῆς μου, ὅτι σὲ ὑμνεῖ πᾶσα ἡ δύναμις τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ σοῦ ἐστὶν ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶναι. Ἀμήν

15 and I will praise you continually all the days of my life: for all the hosts of the heavens sings to you, and your is the glory for ever and ever. Amen. (verse 14 in Brenton's English)