This prayer is based on the Midrash of the ten martyrs who were killed by the Romans. It was written by Rav Yoel ben Yitzchok HaLevi.

Your “friends”¹ are dear,

footnotes: ¹ “Friends,” the righteous are considered God’s “friends.”

Master, Creator

I shall wait for God and hope [for His help]

[that You take vengeance] from the enemy

that maltreats My nation.

For this shall one pray.

Let every pious person pray

and let him don sackcloths²

footnotes: ² As a sign of suffering.

to free the legs

of those who are tied in chains.

As of now Your servants are still smitten.

“These are flogged.”¹

footnotes: ¹ “These are flogged.” Each verse ends with a punishment meted out by the בֵּית דִין—the Jewish court.

We have sinned to You, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

They smite and strike with whips

[the people known as] My one nation.³

footnotes: ³ I.e. Israel.

My drink was blended with tears.

From the deepest pits I called Your Name:

Where [and when will I find] my hope?

My hope was for peace.

[But within our] homes there is fear.

I did not hide from disgrace.⁴

footnotes: ⁴ For I was accustomed to it.

Beloved Israel

is slaughtered upon the hills and mountains.

“These are the sin-offerings.”¹

footnotes: ¹ “These are flogged.” Each verse ends with a punishment meted out by the בֵּית דִין—the Jewish court.

We have sinned to You, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

The sins have overpowered

and they [therefore] torture Your inheritance.⁵

footnotes: ⁵ I.e. Israel is tortured by the nations.

And we are considered as sheep for slaughter.

The best of us are trapped for our sins.⁶

footnotes: ⁶ I.e. the righteous are punished for the sins of the rest.

We are truly at fault

for [that which happens to] our brothers.

Our brothers, the unfortunate Jews,

all their blood is spilled as waste,

and their flesh is beaten

with thorns and bramble.

“These are those who are stoned.”¹

footnotes: ¹ “These are flogged.” Each verse ends with a punishment meted out by the בֵּית דִין—the Jewish court.

We have sinned to You, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

Your young are stoned before Your eyes

on [sanctifying Your Name⁷ by] death,

footnotes: ⁷ “Sanctify Your name’—קִדוּשׁ הַשֵׁם—the act of giving one’s life for God.

and the enemy has prepared for him

instruments of death,

and has said: “Truly

the bitterness of death has reached you.”⁸

footnotes: ⁸ I.e. your end has come.

We hoped for light,

but, He turned it to darkness of death.

In the place of deep darkness,

their voice [still] chirps.⁹

footnotes: ⁹ ‘In … chirps,” i.e. despite great despair we don’t cease to pray.

And from the [great] sound of the crier

my limbs tremble and turn weak.

They withstood tests

and were found to be purified.

“These are those who are burned.”¹

footnotes: ¹ “These are flogged.” Each verse ends with a punishment meted out by the בֵּית דִין—the Jewish court.

We have sinned to You, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

They¹⁰ were burned [together] with their books,

footnotes: ¹⁰ The children who studied Torah.

they were burned together on the pyre

and they sanctified the Holy of Jacob

Who is the only One.

The entire nation answered as one

that He is One.

At [the word] One their souls departed

[they who were] gentle and tender,

and for this day their souls thirsted.¹¹

footnotes: ¹¹ They always desired to give their lives for God.

They gave themselves up

to destroyers and murderers.

“These are those who die by the sword.”¹

footnotes: ¹ “These are flogged.” Each verse ends with a punishment meted out by the בֵּית דִין—the Jewish court.

We have sinned to You, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

The killed have become many

the student with his master.

They were bitten

by the snake, poisonous serpent, and scorpion

and their blood mixed on the barren rock

when many [of Israel] fell.

Old and young and righteous people

that are beloved to one another

in their lifetime

and not separated in their death;

they accept Your yoke

[then] are killed by strangulation.

“These are those who are strangled.”¹

footnotes: ¹ “These are flogged.” Each verse ends with a punishment meted out by the בֵּית דִין—the Jewish court.

We have sinned to You, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

The strangled went for their reward

and to their dwelling they come to rest.¹²

footnotes: ¹² I.e. they come to their share in the World to Come.

[Yet], the enemy insults and abuses Your Name.

And [from] the wounds of] my flesh

they were not satisfied

and they [continue] to wound us,

“And also the dead do they divide.”¹³

footnotes: ¹³ Even after having murdered, they ruthlessly defile the body.

They slice chunks of flesh

from the circumcised¹⁴

footnotes: ¹⁴ I.e. the nation that is circumcised—Israel.

naked, they scattered them

and rolled them in [their] blood;

and ridiculed them

and there was none to embarrass them.¹⁵

footnotes: ¹⁵ I.e. the murderous nations.

“These are those who are exiled.”¹

footnotes: ¹ “These are flogged.” Each verse ends with a punishment meted out by the בֵּית דִין—the Jewish court.

We have sinned to You, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

Those who are exiled,

their enemies conspire against them

to [coerce them] to consult the dead¹⁶

footnotes: ¹⁶ ‘Consult the dead’—a pagan practice.

[something] which is a perversion in My eyes.

[When they saw that their efforts were fruitless], they said: “Remove the curser [of idols],”

remove him from my presence.”¹⁷

footnotes: ¹⁷ To be put to death.

Oh! would that we died at the hands of God.¹⁸

footnotes: ¹⁸ Rather than at the hands of our enemies.

God, in Your hands are the dead

in piles and bundles.

And they [the enemies] arranged pyres

to do evil to the throngs.

Let their blood be gathered before You!¹⁹

footnotes: ¹⁹ I.e., avenge their blood.

“These are the public sin-offerings.”¹

footnotes: ¹ “These are flogged.” Each verse ends with a punishment meted out by the בֵּית דִין—the Jewish court.

We have sinned to You, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

The congregation,²⁰ set themselves afire

footnotes: ²⁰ Of Israel.

to be tested,²¹

footnotes: ²¹ To test their own commitment to God.

and the youngsters did not procrastinate

from sanctifying [His Name]

by questioning [God’s motives].

They were removed

from the Chamber of Sheep²²

footnotes: ²² ‘They removed … sheep’—they offered even their young as sacrifices.

without examination,²³

footnotes: ²³ I.e. without the necessary inspection of the sacrifices; meant here to express the lack of hesitation in sanctifying His Holy Name.

for there they sacrificed righteous sacrifices.

Wrap Yourself in righteousness and justice,

to avenge me,

for they have devastated the inheritor²⁴

footnotes: ²⁴ The righteous of Israel who inherit and pass down the ways of Israel to future generations.

and [thus] extinguished my ember.

Why is my pain constant,

my wound so serious?

And were it only

that we were sold to slavery

I would have remained silent.

We have sinned to You, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

I remained silent as a deaf-mute

while the enemy abused and disgraced [You].

They ceased fearing You

and followed emptiness.²⁵

footnotes: ²⁵ I.e. idol worship.

He (the enemy) refused gratuity

or to accept ransom²⁶

footnotes: ²⁶ He refused to be bribed and give up his ruthless desire for murder.

for [his goal is] to destroy the soul.

The destroyer sliced her²⁷ pregnant ones,

footnotes: ²⁷ I.e. Israel’s.

to destroy his offspring

and they kneeled

[expelling] their children through the fissures.

And [they destroyer] said: “Where is his God,

that can save him from me?

And woe to the one [nation]

that falls without anyone to raise him.”

We have sinned to You, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

[God] rise up to raise her.²⁸

footnotes: ²⁸ I.e. Israel.

How long will they [continue to] disgrace me;

that whoever finds me slaughters me?

Therefore, I cry with bitter tears,

[thus], do not rush to console me,

[for] I have soiled my radiance with dirt.

My strength was cut down

by pitfalls that strangers dug,

and they buried them alive

in the perforation of the rocks.

The earth covered them

[where] they died amongst the murdered.

“These are those that are buried.”¹

footnotes: ¹ “These are flogged.” Each verse ends with a punishment meted out by the בֵּית דִין—the Jewish court.

We have sinned to You, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

The buried and the slaughtered,

may they rise [to You] as perfect incense

to give us life,

a remnant, and redemption;²⁹

footnotes: ²⁹ ‘The buried … redemption’ i.e. let the merit of those who gave their life to sanctify Your Name serve to keep alive and bring redemption to those of us who are left.

and let the stone be removed

from the wells of the suffering.³⁰

footnotes: ³⁰ ‘And let … suffering’—a play on the story when Jacob (בני יעקן) removed the stone from the well where he met Rachel. ‘יעקן‘ is derived from ‘עָקָא‘ i.e.—suffering.

Let the righteous one rejoice

when he sees the day of vengeance.

Let Him pay vengeance to His enemies,

Edom and Ishmael,

for they profaned my holy one³¹

footnotes: ³¹ A reference to R’ Ishmael the High Priest.

and his associate Rabbon Simon b. Gamliel.

Be not silent over their [spilt] blood

and do not rest, O God.

Avenge the vengeance of the Israelites!

We have sinned to You, our Rock,

forgive us, our Creator.

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.