Is the Prayer of Manasseh in the King James Bible?
Yes — it was included in the Apocrypha of the original 1611 KJV. Most modern KJV editions omit the Apocrypha, so the prayer is missing from them.
Free Public-Domain Download
The Prayer of Manasseh — Free PDF Study Guide
A clear, scholarly introduction to the Prayer of Manasseh — the shortest book in the King James Apocrypha and one of the most moving prayers of repentance ever written. Fifteen verses long, it puts words in the mouth of Manasseh, the king who filled Jerusalem with idols and innocent blood, and who according to 2 Chronicles 33 repented in a Babylonian prison. This free guide gives the background, the structure of the prayer, and its place in the 1611 KJV.
An original Bible Sundays study companion. The full 1611 KJV text of the Prayer of Manasseh is included in our free KJV Apocrypha PDF, which contains all fourteen Apocryphal books bound in the original King James Bible.
Preview the actual file
Look inside before you download
Bible Sundays study guide
Inside this PDF
- Length
- 3 pages
- File size
- 0.1 MB
- Format
- Searchable PDF
- Access
- Free, no account
- The story behind the prayer — 2 Chronicles 33 and Manasseh's repentance
- Verse-by-verse structure: praise, confession, plea, vow
- Why it is the shortest book in the 1611 KJV Apocrypha
- Its use in Anglican, Orthodox, and Lutheran worship
- Five lines every reader should know
After your download
Choose what to do next
Keep reading, build a plan, or find the passage you need without starting over.
What you get
The story behind the prayer — 2 Chronicles 33 and Manasseh's repentance
Verse-by-verse structure: praise, confession, plea, vow
Why it is the shortest book in the 1611 KJV Apocrypha
Its use in Anglican, Orthodox, and Lutheran worship
Five lines every reader should know
Free to share — no email or sign-up required
What is the Prayer of Manasseh?
The Prayer of Manasseh is a short penitential psalm of fifteen verses, composed in Greek (most likely in the second or first century BC) and preserved in the Septuagint tradition and the Latin Vulgate appendix. It is written as the prayer that Manasseh, king of Judah, offered when he was carried in chains to Babylon — the prayer that 2 Chronicles 33:18–19 says was recorded 'in the book of the kings of Israel' but which the Bible itself does not preserve. An anonymous Jewish writer supplied the missing words: a hymn to the Creator, a raw confession of sin, an appeal to the mercy promised to sinners, and a vow of lifelong praise.
Is the Prayer of Manasseh in the King James Bible?
It was included in the Apocrypha of the original 1611 King James Bible, placed near the end of the Apocryphal section between 2 Esdras and the books of Maccabees in most printings. Jerome placed it in an appendix to the Vulgate rather than the canon proper, and the Council of Trent likewise left it outside the Catholic canon while keeping it as an appendix. It is canonical for the Eastern Orthodox, is one of the Anglican canticles, and appears in Lutheran devotional collections. Protestants read it as edifying prayer rather than inspired Scripture.
Why this prayer still matters
No book in the Apocrypha is quoted more often in Christian devotion. Its plea — 'thou hast promised repentance and forgiveness to them that have sinned against thee' — is the theology of Psalm 51 and Luke 15 in miniature, spoken by the worst king Judah ever had. Manasseh's story is the Bible's own proof that no sinner is beyond mercy: 2 Chronicles 33 says God 'was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom.' Reading the prayer alongside Psalm 51, Luke 18:13, and 1 John 1:9 gives a fuller picture of how ancient Jews and early Christians understood confession.
Frequently asked questions
Did King Manasseh really write this prayer?
Almost certainly not. 2 Chronicles 33:18–19 refers to a prayer of Manasseh that was written down, but that text is lost. The Greek prayer preserved in the Apocrypha is a later Jewish composition, most likely from the second or first century BC, written in his voice.
How long is the Prayer of Manasseh?
Fifteen verses — a single page. It is the shortest book in the 1611 King James Apocrypha.
What does the Prayer of Manasseh say?
It opens by praising the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as Creator, confesses that the writer's sins are 'more in number than the sand of the sea,' appeals to the mercy God promised to repentant sinners, and vows to praise him all the days of his life.
Why isn't the Prayer of Manasseh in the Protestant Bible?
The Reformers followed Jerome in classing the Greek-only books as Apocrypha — useful for example of life and instruction of manners, but not part of the inspired canon. Even Rome kept it in an appendix rather than the canon at Trent.
Is the Prayer of Manasseh used in church worship?
Yes. It is one of the canticles of Anglican Morning and Evening Prayer, is used in Eastern Orthodox Great Compline, and appears in Lutheran penitential devotions.
Where can I read the full text of the Prayer of Manasseh?
The complete 1611 KJV text is included in our free KJV Apocrypha PDF, which contains all fourteen Apocryphal books bound in the original King James Bible.
Can I share this study guide?
Yes. This Bible Sundays study guide is free to share for any personal, ministry, or educational purpose.
Related Bible study & reading
Continue your study with related content from across our library:
Prayer
Prayer for Repentance
Turning from sin and returning to God.
Prayer
David's Prayer of Repentance
A heartfelt cry for mercy inspired by Psalm 51.
Commentary
2 Chronicles 7:14 Commentary
In-depth study • Repentance & Revival
Commentary
Hosea 14:2 Commentary
In-depth study • Repentance & Worship
Bible Quiz
King Manasseh Bible Quiz
The wicked king of Judah who humbled himself in Babylon.
Situation
Developing a Prayer Life
Bible verses to inspire and guide a deeper, more consistent prayer life.
Biblical names and their meanings
Every name below appears in the King James Bible. Each page gives the meaning, the verse it appears in, and who carried it in Scripture.
- ChloeYoung green shoot; Blooming
- ChristianFollower of Christ
- ChristianFollower of Christ
- DanielGod is my judge
- DavidBeloved
- DeborahBee
- EdenDelight or paradise
- EdenDelight; Paradise
More free Bible & apocryphal downloads
KJV Apocrypha PDF
The 14 books included in the original 1611 King James Bible — full text.
View pageBook of Tobit Guide
Tobit, Tobias, Sarah, and the archangel Raphael — 1611 KJV Apocrypha.
View pageBook of Judith Guide
The widow of Bethulia who saved her city — 1611 KJV Apocrypha.
View page1 Maccabees Guide
The Maccabean revolt and the origin of Hanukkah — 1611 KJV Apocrypha.
View page2 Maccabees Guide
The seven brothers and the first clear teaching on bodily resurrection.
View pageSirach (Ecclesiasticus) Guide
The wisdom book behind James 3 and Matthew 11:28–30.
View pageBook of Baruch Guide
Jeremiah's scribe — confession, Wisdom hymn, Letter of Jeremiah.
View page1 Esdras Guide
Alternative version of Ezra–Nehemiah with 'Great is Truth' speech.
View page2 Esdras (4 Ezra) Guide
Jewish apocalypse with imagery behind the Book of Revelation.
View pageWisdom of Solomon Guide
The most quoted book of the 1611 KJV Apocrypha — free PDF study guide.
View pageBook of Enoch PDF
The ancient apocalyptic text quoted in Jude — free download.
View pageBook of Jasher PDF
The lost book referenced in Joshua and 2 Samuel — free PDF.
View pageBook of Jubilees Guide
The second-century-BC 'Little Genesis' retelling — free PDF study guide.
View pageGospel of Thomas Guide
The 114 sayings from Nag Hammadi — origin, themes, and why it's not in the Bible.
View pageDidache Study Guide
The earliest Christian church manual (c. AD 50–120) — free PDF.
View page1 Clement Guide
The earliest Christian writing outside the New Testament (c. AD 95).
View pageEpistle of Barnabas Guide
Early Christian tract bound into Codex Sinaiticus — Two Ways teaching.
View pageShepherd of Hermas Guide
Second-century Roman apocalypse — Visions, Mandates, and Similitudes.
View pageBook of Giants Guide
The Dead Sea Scrolls text about the Nephilim sons of the Watchers.
View page2 Enoch Guide
Enoch's journey through the seven heavens and the birth of Melchizedek.
View page3 Enoch Guide
The heavenly palaces and Enoch transformed into the angel Metatron.
View pageBook of Adam and Eve Guide
The first couple after Eden — Satan's second temptation and the Cave of Treasures.
View pageGospel of Mary Guide
The fragmentary Coptic text — what survives and why it isn't in the Bible.
View pageGospel of Judas Guide
The Gnostic text from Codex Tchacos and why the church rejected it.
View pageDead Sea Scrolls Guide
What was found at Qumran and what the scrolls prove about the Bible.
View pageSusanna Study Guide
The falsely accused wife, the two elders, and Daniel's cross-examination.
View pageBel and the Dragon Guide
Daniel exposes the priests of Bel, kills the dragon, and survives a second lions' den.
View pageRest of Esther Guide
The six Greek additions that give Esther her prayer and finally name God.
View pageLetter of Jeremiah Guide
The Epistle of Jeremy — seventy-two verses against the idols of Babylon.
View pageSong of the Three Children Guide
The Prayer of Azariah and the Benedicite, sung inside the fiery furnace.
View pageGospel of Peter Guide
The Akhmim fragment, the talking cross, and why the church rejected it by AD 200.
View pageProtevangelium of James Guide
The Infancy Gospel that gave us Joachim, Anna, and the cave of the nativity.
View pageGospel of Philip Guide
The Nag Hammadi text behind the Mary Magdalene 'companion' claim — read honestly.
View pageEpistles of Ignatius Guide
Seven letters written in chains around AD 107, on the road to the arena.
View pagePolycarp Guide
His letter to the Philippians and the earliest Christian martyr account.
View pageEpistle to Diognetus Guide
The second-century apology on Christians as sojourners and the 'sweet exchange'.
View pageGospel of Nicodemus Guide
the Acts of Pilate, the trial narrative, and the Harrowing of Hell
View pageInfancy Gospel of Thomas Guide
the clay sparrows, the cursed playmate, and the boy Jesus in the temple
View pageApocalypse of Peter Guide
the second-century vision of heaven and hell that shaped Dante
View pageTestaments of the Twelve Patriarchs Guide
the deathbed speeches of Jacob's sons, their moral teaching, and their Qumran background
View pageActs of Paul and Thecla Guide
the second-century story of the convert of Iconium, the arena at Antioch, and the physical description of Paul
View pageNag Hammadi Library Guide
the 1945 discovery, the 52 Coptic texts, what Gnosticism taught, and why these gospels are not in the Bible
View pageComplete KJV Bible PDF
The complete 66-book King James Version — free download.
View page1611 King James Bible PDF
The original Authorized Version — free PDF of the historic 1611 KJV.
View page