DIDASCALIA. 2 Chron. xxxili. 11 2 Chron. xxxiii. 12 f. 25 b enemies, and they shall be for a prey and a spoil to all that hate them, is because they have done evil before mine eyes, because they have been pro- voking from that day that I have brought out their fathers from Egypt until this day. Manasseh also shed much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from rim to rim with the slain, because of the sins which he com- mitted ; and he made Judah to sin in doing evil before the Lord." "And He brought against them the captains of Assyria ; and they took Manasseh and bound him, and threw chains about him and carried him to Babylon in a copper star, and shut him up in prison, having completely chained and bound him in irons." Bread of husks was given to him by weight, and water mixed with vinegar in small measure, that he might be alive and afflicted and heavily troubled. " When he was much afflicted he sought the face of the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers." He prayed to the Lord God, and said : The Prayer of Manasseh. Lord God of my fathers ! God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and of their righteous seed, who hast made the heavens with all their array, who hast chained the sea and established it by the command of Thy word, who hast bound the abyss and hast sealed it by Thine awful and glorious name; Thou before whose power everything trembles and shakes because of the unbearable greatness of the splendour of Thy glory, and no man can bear to stand before the anger of Thy wrath against sinners ; whose mercies are infinite and measureless ; for Thou art a Lord who is longsuffering and merciful and very gracious, and Thou regrettest the evils of the sons of man ; Thou, Lord, according to the kindness of Thy goodness, hast promised forgiveness to those who repent of their sins, and in the greatness of Thy mercies Thou hast appointed repentance for the salvation of sinners. Thou, therefore, Lord God of the righteous, didst not appoint repentance to our father Abraham, and Isaac and Jacob, nor even to those who had never sinned against Thee. Yet thou hast appointed repentance to me, for I am a sinner, because my sins are more than the sand of the sea. I have not breath to lift up my head for the multitude of my iniquities. And now, Lord God1, behold, I am justly afflicted, and I am grieved as I deserve. Behold, I am chained and bent by a multitude of iron chains, so that I cannot lift up my head. Nor am I worthy to lift up mine eyes and look and see the height of heaven because of the multitude of my wickednesses, for I have done evil things before Thee, and I have kindled Thy wrath and set up idols, and multiplied 1 S. om. God.