English Translation
It is written: "And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they would not listen. Therefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks" (2 Chronicles 33:10-11). What is meant by "with hooks"? With manacles. Rabbi Levi said: They made for him a mold of bronze and placed him within it and kindled a fire beneath it. When he saw that his distress was a true distress, he left no idolatry in the world that he did not invoke. When nothing availed him at all, he said: I remember that my father used to have me read this verse in the synagogue: "When you are in distress, and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and obey His voice. For the LORD your God is a merciful God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them" (Deuteronomy 4:30-31). Behold, I will call upon Him. If He answers me, well and good; and if not, then all faces are alike. And the ministering angels were stopping up the windows so that Manasseh's prayer would not ascend before the Holy One, blessed be He. And the ministering angels were saying before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the universe, a man who worshiped idolatry and set up an image in the Sanctuary, will You receive him in repentance? He said to them: If I do not receive him in repentance, behold, I am locking the door before all penitents. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do for him? He dug a tunnel for him beneath His Throne of Glory and heard his supplication. This is what is written: "And he prayed to Him, and He was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him back" (2 Chronicles 33:13). Rabbi Lazar son of Rabbi Shimon said: In Arabia they call a tunnel a "breach." "And He brought him back" to Jerusalem to his kingdom. With what did He bring him back? Shmuel bar Bina in the name of Rabbi Acha said: With a wind He brought him back, as you say, "He causes the wind to blow." "And Manasseh knew that the LORD was God" (2 Chronicles 33:13). At that hour Manasseh said: There is justice and there is a Judge.
Original Hebrew or Aramaic
כָּתוּב וַיְדַבֵּר יְי אֶל מְנַשֶּׁה וְאֶל עַמּוֹ וְלֹא הִקְשִׁיבוּ. וַיָּבֵא עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת שָׂרֵי הַצָּבָא אֲשֶׁר לְמֶלֶךְ וַיִּלְכְּדוּ אֶת מְנַשֶּׁה בַּחֹחִים. מָהוּ בַחֹחִים. בְּכֵירוֹ מָנִיקִיָּא. אַמַר רִבִּי לֵוִי. מוּלָא שֶׁלִּנְחוֹשֶׂת עָשׂוּ לוֹ וְנָתְנוּ אוֹתוֹ בְּתוֹכָהּ וְהָיוּ מַסִּיקִין תַּחְתָּיו. כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה שֶׁצָּרָתוֹ צָרָה לֹא הִנִּיחַ עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה בָעוֹלָם שֶׁלֹּא הִזְכִּירָהּ. כֵּיוָן שֶׁלֹּא הוֹעִיל לוֹ כְּלוּם אָמַר. זָכוּר אֲנִי שֶׁהָיָה אָבִי מַקְרֶא אוֹתִי אֶת הַפָּסוּק הַזֶּה בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת בַּצַּר לְךָ וּמְצָאוּךָ כֹּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים וְשַׁבְתָּ עַד יי אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקוֹלוֹ. כִּי אֵל רַחוּם יְי אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא יַרְפְּךָ וְלֹא יַשְׁחִיתֶךָ וְלֹא יִשְׁכַּח אֶת בְּרִית אֲבוֹתֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לָהֶם. הֲרֵי אֲנִי קוֹרֵא אוֹתוֹ. אִם עוֹנֶה אוֹתִי מוּטָּב וְאִם לָאו הָא כָל אַפְּיָא שָׁוִין. וְהָיוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת מְסַתְּמִין אֶת הַחַלּוֹנוֹת שֶׁלֹּא תַעֲלֶה תְפִילָּתוֹ שֶׁלִּמְנַשֶׁה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. וְהָיוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת אוֹמְרִים לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁלְּעוֹלָם. אָדָם שֶׁעָבַד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְהֶעֱמִיד צֶלֶם בַּהֵיכָל אַתָּה מְקַבְּלוֹ בִתְשׁוּבָה. אָמַר לָהֶן. אִם אֵינִי מְקַבְּלוֹ בִתְשׁוּבָה הֲרֵי אֲנִי נוֹעֵל אֶת הַדֶּלֶת בִּפְנֵי כָל בַּעֲלֵי תְשׁוּבָה. מָה עָשָׂה לוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. חָתַר לוֹ חֲתִירָה מִתַּחַת כִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד שֶׁלּוֹ וְשָׁמַע תְּחִינָּתוֹ. הָדָא הִיא דִכְתִיב וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אֵלָיו וַיֵּעָתֶר לוֹ וַיִּשְׁמַע תְּחִינָּתוֹ וַיְשִׁיבֵיהוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי לָעְזָר בֵּירִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן. בַּעֲרָבְיָיא צְוָוחִין לַחֲתַרְתָּה עֲתַרְתָּה. וַיְשִׁיבֵיהוּ יְרוּשָׁלַם לְמַלְכוּתוֹ. בְּמָה הֵשִׁיבוֹ. שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר בִּינָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי אָחָא. בָּרוּחַ הֵשִׁיבוֹ. כְּמַה דַתָּ מַר מַשִּׁיב הָרוּחַ. וַיֵּדַע מָנַשֶּׁה כִּי יְי הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה אָמַר מְנַשֶּׁה. אִית דִּין וְאִית דַּיָין.