The prayer of Manasses, vvith the third & fourth Bookes of Esdras,
extant in most Latin and vulgare Bibles, are here placed after al the
Canonical bookes, of the old Testament: because they are not receiued
into the Canon of Diuine Scriptures by the Catholique Church.
THE PRAYER OF MANASSES KING OF IVDA, WHEN HE WAS HELD CAPTIVE IN
BABYLON.
LORD omnipotent God of our fathers, Abraham, & Isaac, and Iacob, and of
their iust sede, (2 Par 33:12) [2] which didst make heauen and earth:
with al the ornamentes of them, [3] which hast bound the sea with the
word of thy precept, which hast shut vp the depth, and sealed it with
thy terrible and laudable name: [4] whom al thinges dread, & tremble at
the countinance of thy powre, [5] because the magnificence of thy
glorie is importable, & the wrath of thy threatning vpon sinners is
intollerable: [6] but the mercie of thy promise is infinite and
vnsearchable: [7] because thou art our Lord, most high, benigne, long
suffering, and very merciful, and penitent vpon the wickednes of men.
Thou Lord according to the multitude of thy goodnes hast promised
penance, and remission to them that haue sinned to thee, and by the
multitude of thy mercies thou hast decreed penance to sinners, vnto
saluation. [8] Thou therfore Lord God of the iust, hast not appointed
penance to the iust, Abraham, & Isaac and Iacob, them that haue not
sinned to thee, but hast appointed penance for me a sinner: [9] because
I haue sinned aboue the number of the sand of the sea. Myne iniquities
Lord be multiplied, mine iniquities be multiplied, and I am not worthie
to behold, & looke vpon the height of heauen, for the multitude of mine
iniquities. [10] I am made crooked with manie a band of yron, that I
can not lift vp my head, and I haue not respiration: because I haue
stirred vp thy wrath, and haue done euil before thee: I haue not done
thy wil, and thy commandmentes I haue not kept: I haue set vp
abominations, and multiplied offenses. [11] And now I bowe the knee of
my hart, beseeching goodnes of thee. [12] I haue sinned Lord, I haue
sinned, & I acknowlege myne iniquities. [13] Wherefore I beseech
disiring thee, forgeue me Lord, forgeue me: and destroy me not together
with myne iniquities, neither reserue thou for euer, being angrie,
euils for me, neither damme me into the lowest places of the earth:
because thou art Lord, God, I say, of the penitent: [14] in me thou
shalt shew al thy goodnes because thou shalt saue me vnworthie
according to thy great mercie, [15] and I wil prayse thee alwayes al
the dayes of my life: because al the power of the heauens prayseth
thee, and to thee is glorie for euer and euer. Amen.