This prayer was composed by Rabbi Solomon HaBavli.

[Our] Father, You created us with compassion and pardon,¹ we are the children of Your holy covenant, and You have never exchanged us;² even in our exile, You are with us, as You have given us hope.³ And [now] pardon our iniquity and our sin and take us for Your inheritance.

footnotes: ¹ When God created man, He knew that man required His mercy and forgiveness. ² For any other nation. ³ By promising not to leave us even in the worst of times.

Wash away the blood and filth⁴ bring our judgment into light; let our sin be hidden and not be found to make us repulsive and let our iniquity be sought and none be found, As You clearly stated: “I will forgive those that I will spare.”

footnotes: ⁴ Of our sins.

The foulness [of our sins] is great and the aroma of our sacrifices⁵ has ceased.⁶ The covering of soil [caused by] the filth of the moist creeping thing,⁷ let that become cleansed by immersion in the flow of Your waters, for You are Adonoy, good and forgiving.

footnotes: ⁵ “ניחוח ממלח“ lit. the salted pleasant odor—all sacrifices were salted before being burnt on the altar as a pleasant fragrance to God. (v. Vayikra 2, 13) ⁶ Since the destruction of the Temple. ⁷ A ritually unclean person who has any foreign matter covering any part of his body cannot become ritually clean unless he first removes the impurity.

Since we sinned we were exiled and from corpulence [we became] emaciated for the impurity is abundant and there is none [priest] to sprinkle us.⁸ For Your sake, Adonoy, as [You did] then and before this, forgive, please, the sins of this nation.

footnotes: ⁸ With the mixture of water and ashes from the red heifer—the procedure used in purifying one who was contaminated with the ritual uncleanness of a dead body.

They are too abundant to relate— the great goodness that You have bestowed. You led the nation [even] when it was rebellious towards You. Please, carry their burden as You carried it in previous days, and forgive Your nation that has sinned to You.

Upon us, from on high let His holy spirit pour forth, so that we may separate ourselves [from sin], and sanctify [us] and [a] new [heart] create for us. The purification and the cleansing [from sin]— order that they be without suffering, for forgiveness is with You⁹ so that You shall be feared.

footnotes: ⁹ It is in Your hands to forgive.

Stand upright the fallen one.¹⁰ [Refrain] from adding to our misfortune. [With] a spirit of kindness satiate our hunger. Annihilation has come [to those who] rebuilt us at the time we were weakened.¹¹ For the sake of Your Name, Adonoy, forgive our sins.

footnotes: ¹⁰ “Fallen one”—the Jewish nation. ¹¹ “To those … rebuilt us” i.e. the righteous of every generation.

We have become as leftovers¹² and who, like You, can forgive [such as these]. Not [based] upon our righteousness will we attempt to seek a sign,¹³ but upon your virtue of abundant compassion we will send¹⁴ our plea. Adonoy, listen! Adonoy, forgive! Adonoy, pay attention [to us] and do!

footnotes: ¹² “Leftovers”—the remains at the bottom of the pot. ¹³ “A sign”—that You have forgiven us. ¹⁴ נפיל—lit. “throw.”

In Your fear and in Your righteous Torah, establish our footsteps to tread, for through our sins we have become too weak to take a step. Please fulfill Your good promise to support [us]: “For I shall forgive their iniquities, and their sins I will no longer remember.”

You know the hidden of every blood and flesh.¹⁵ [We committed] iniquities [despite] that we knew them and they are with us everywhere.¹⁶ We, hereby, come before You [that we may] find redemption and consolation, for You are the forgiving God gracious and compassionate.

footnotes: ¹⁵ Blood and flesh, i.e. human. ¹⁶ And—everywhere, i.e. we cannot escape our sins.

Almighty! King! Who sits on the throne of mercy, governs with kindness forgives the iniquities of His people. He removes their sins one by one, increasing forgiveness to sinners, and pardon to transgressors. Acting righteously with all who are of flesh and spirit; not according to their wickedness does He repay them. Almighty! You instructed us to recite the thirteen Divine attributes; remember unto us this day the covenant of thirteen Divine attributes, as You made them known to the humble Moses of old, as it is written, “And Adonoy descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the Name, Adonoy.

Congregation and Chazzan:

And Adonoy passed before him [Moses], and proclaimed:

Adonoy, Adonoy, Almighty, Merciful, Gracious, Slow to Anger, and Abundant in Kindness, and Truth. Keeper of kindness for thousands of generations, Endurer of iniquity, and transgression, and sin; and Acquitter of those who repent. “And pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your inheritance.”

Pardon us our Father, for we have sinned, forgive us our King, for we have transgressed. “For You, my Master, are good and forgiving, and abounding in kindness to all who call upon You.”

Why do You stand from afar, Adonoy, hiding Yourself in times of trouble? Return for the sake of Your servants the tribes of Your inheritance. You will grant truth to Jacob, kindliness to Abraham. As You have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.

As a father has compassion on his children so do You have compassion on us, Adonoy. Deliverance is Adonoy’s; upon Your people is Your blessing. Selah! Adonoy of Hosts is with us, a stronghold for us is the God of Jacob. Selah! Adonoy of Hosts! fortunate is the man who trusts in You. Adonoy, deliver us; the King will answer us on the day we call.

“Please pardon the sins of this nation in accordance with the greatness of Your lovingkindness; and as You forgave this people from when it left Egypt until now.” And there it is said:

“And Adonoy said, I have pardoned [them] as you have asked.”

Incline Your ear, my God, and hear, open Your eyes and behold our desolate places, and the city which is called by Your Name; for it is not on account of our righteousness that we let fall our supplication before You, but because of Your great mercy. My Master, hear! My Master, pardon! My Master, listen and take action, do not delay! For Your sake, my God, because Your Name is proclaimed over Your city and over Your people.