To You, my Creator

I have spread my hands [in prayer],

I have abandoned arrogance and haughtiness.

Truly, a broken spirit,

I [have brought before You as a] sacrifice,

and in Your loving-kindness, I trust.

I trust in You

and not upon refined weaponry,

even when I was threatened with death

[along with] scholars and their students.

Search out [for redemption]

the speechless dove and nestling,¹

footnotes: ¹ “Speechless dove”—i.e. the nation of Israel.

and let him return the robbery²

footnotes: ² And—robbery, i.e. let the gentiles return the land that they robbed from us.

that he robbed.

We have sinned, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

He [the gentile nations] robbed and destroyed

the exalted righteous [of our nation]

and his wise elders,

and destroyed his House³

footnotes: ³ ‘House’—i.e. the Temple.

and desecrated the Holy⁴ and its holies

footnotes: ⁴ Holy, i.e. the Temple.

and slashed the Curtain⁵

footnotes: ⁵ I.e. the curtain separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple.

and slaughtered his prophets and holy men,

that was a generation that seeked Him.

The blood of those that seeked Him

shall be a ransom and redemption

before Your honorable Throne

[that instills] fear [in all creation].

[We are] attached to You

as linked couplets and twins,

because for Your sake

we are constantly killed.

We have sinned, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

On this day

how many tens of thousands

fell [by the sword] from Your nation,

and gave their lives

for the Unity of Your Name.

For their sake bring forth into the light

their judgments and sentence

from Your heights,

and hear the prayers

of Your servants and Your nation.

And Your nation they loot and rob

and their riches they plundered

and they rejoice in the fear⁶

footnotes: ⁶ ‘In the fear’ i.e. the fear of the Jewish Nation.

and in the breach⁷ they revel.

footnotes: ⁷ ‘In the break’ i.e. the breach of the Jewish Nation.

‘And who has given Jacob to loot’

loudly they proclaim,

“Is it not Adonoy that did this!”

We have sinned, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator

[To this we respond] ‘Our sins caused this,

and [caused our] pursuer to smite us.

We have veered from the path

and like a rebellious counsel we have kicked.

We suffered His anger

according to the measure [that we deserve],

and according to our evil actions

we have suffered

to Adonoy our God we have sinned.

We have sinned

and we are still [immersed] in great guilt.

To ridicule and mockery

we have been placed in exile.

[The prophecy of Scripture has befallen us:

“Behold!

Adonoy has made you wander wanderings.”

We have sinned, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

The wanderings and sorrows

became stronger and intensified.

The wolves [who attack their prey at] dusk⁸

footnotes: ⁸ ‘The wolves — dusk,’ i.e. the nations of the world.

devoured and stunned us.

They tore us to pieces

and left not even a bone till morning.

They are ruthless and do not take pity.

May pity come from the Heavens!

To do miracles [for us]

and let Him save His people

from the hand of the strong and violent.

May His beloved dwelling⁹

footnotes: ⁹ I.e. the Temple.

expand its length and breadth

as a mast and as a banner¹⁰ at the mountaintop.

footnotes: ¹⁰ May the Temple be so visible and prominent!

We have sinned, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

As a [lonely] flagpole, [remained]

the remnant of His inheritance,

Masters, besides Him, lorded over us.

Now, let it be told to Jacob¹¹

footnotes: ¹¹ I.e. Israel.

whom He forgives:

“God has chosen him,

Israel to be His chosen nation.”

To His chosen nation

let there not be pain and destruction.

As in days of yore

let my ruins¹² be rebuilt.

footnotes: ¹² I.e. Jerusalem.

To my king let Him give strength

and let him be exalted,

[God] Who humbles and exalts.

We have sinned, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

Exalted One!

Show me [vengeance] in my enemies,¹³

footnotes: ¹³ בשוררי—lit. those who see to my destruction.

His vengeance

and the vengeance of my chosen place¹⁴.

footnotes: ¹⁴ ‘Chosen place,’ i.e. the Temple.

Transfer the pain of my shame to my enemies

for I carried

the shame of [the wrongdoing] of my youth.

[God responds:] I remember his youth

the love of betrothal.¹⁵

footnotes: ¹⁵ ‘I remember — betrothal’ i.e. I remember the kindnesses that I did for you when you first became My nation.

[So, too] in her old age

act kindly towards her.

Please! Let my prayer be established

as a burnt-offering.¹⁶

footnotes: ¹⁶ ‘Let — offering,’ i.e. let my prayer be considered as a sacrifice brought at the time of the Temple.

God of Jacob listen to my prayer forever.

We have sinned, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

You have always been a support to those who put their hope in You.

For Your sake do [for them],

if not for their sake.

[Then] their enemies will be embarrassed

and disgraced through their prayers

[for they will pray] to Adonoy

and You will not answer them.

Answer [the prayers] of the House of Israel,

who have declared Your oneness,

even when You put their cities to rubble

they desired You.

Therefore, [even when they had to hide]

in the cracks [of the earth]

they honored You.

Adonoy, in their anguish, they remembered You.

We have sinned, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

They remembered You,

You to whom lips turn to call [in prayer].

Rescue them from punishment

and from severe edicts.

Please! Turn towards their song

and their beseeching.

You are their strength in time of anguish.

Anguish and distress

remove from me, my Creator,

and the gates of tears

shall not be shut for me.

For they are gathered in Your vessel;

are they not counted by You, my Redeemer!

I have cried. Hear my voice!

We have sinned, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

I will raise my voice in plea

[that You save me] from the oppression

[of My] tumultuous enemy.

I was overwhelmed

by the severe anger of my oppressor.

The mother, together with her children,

was torn to pieces.

[The mother] was torn to pieces

before her eyes are her children slaughtered.

Her face was put to shame

her cheek plucked.

The barons

from the Chamber of Hewn Stone¹⁷

footnotes: ¹⁷ ‘Barons — Stone’ i.e. the Sanhedrin who met in the temple in the Chamber of Hewn Stone to pass judgment.

have become few,

where the tribes [of Israel] ascended.

Return Your tribes

to Your glorious dwelling-place¹⁸

footnotes: ¹⁸ I.e. the Temple.

so that the remnant [of Israel] be crowned.¹⁹

footnotes: ¹⁹ I.e. that the Kingdom of the House of David return.

Let it be heard by the fugitive of Judah

that has remained

so that she remain a crown of glory.

We have sinned, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

Your glorious [people] who trust [in You],

this nation that You have acquired.

You have not found them contemptuous,

when they have called You, You responded.

[Even when] a single poor person calls,

You have prepared Your reply:

“I will hear their prayer

and their plea

which [you] pleaded [in their behalf].”

You have taken pity

on Your annihilated children

and who were exiled from their father’s table.

You said: “Compassion

shall roll over my attributes.”²⁰

footnotes: ²⁰ “Compassion — attributes” i.e. compassion shall overpower the other attributes of God.

In Adonoy they shall find righteousness

and they shall be praised [for trusting in God].

We have sinned, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

Those who depend on You shall be praised

for their prayer and my²¹ prayer

footnotes: ²¹ The שְׁלִיחַ צִבּוּר—who leads the congregation in prayer.

[were accepted] with pleasantness.

And conduct Yourself with them

with the attributes of righteousness

and compassion.

Let Your merit precede them

and the merit of the three ancients,²²

footnotes: ²² ‘Three ancients’ i.e. the Patriarchs.

the Almighty King Who sits

on the throne of compassion.

Remember to us the covenant of the Patriarchs,

as You promised,

“And I will remember my covenant with Jacob,

and also my covenant with Isaac,

and also my covenant with Abraham

will I remember,”

and the land I will remember.