Original: Manasseh is recorded in the Bible as one of the most idolatrous ( 2 Kings 21:1 -18 ) ; however , after having been taken captive by the Assyrians , he prays for mercy ( 2 Chronicles 33:10 -17 ) and turns from his idolatrous ways .
Simplified: The Prayer of Manasseh is a short work of 15 verses of the penitential prayer of the Judean king Manasseh .