This prayer was composed by Rabbi Benjamin ben Zorach.

Our God and God of our fathers!

You taught us of old,

to entreat You with our lips;

[how] with prayer and supplication

to knock at [Your] door.

We approach You with diligence

and not with laziness—

avert calamities [from us]

that come from time to time.

Behold we come before You

with broken spirit and humbled heart,

to confess before You

all our follies and stubborness of heart;

You Who searches hearts,

and heals the broken in spirit,

renew a correct spirit within us,

and create for us a pure heart.

You appointed from of old

these ten days,

for each individual to return

and find atonement,

while the entire year

is available for communal repentance,

to cry and pray

in times of anguish and distress.

If the individual hastens

and repents within [these ten days],

he is pardoned;

but if he despairs [of atonement]

and does not repent,

there is no hope for his iniquity.

Even if he prepares and offers

all the rams of Nevayos¹ to help him,

footnotes: ¹ A place of the choicest rams.

though he will plead and cry

his prayer will not be heard.

The prayers of the congregation

as well as those of the individual,

ascend to You alone;

for You, our Rock, hear prayer;

receive us with favor

and grant us pardon,

favor us

as though we had brought burnt-offerings.

Judge us

with compassion and pity—

Your distinguished children

whom You took for Your treasure—

let their disobedience

be drowned in the depths of the sea,

and let them praise You forever

with every kind of praise.

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.”

Remember not the sins of our ancestors,

let Your mercy come swiftly toward us,

for we have been brought very low.

For Adonoy hears the [cry] of the needy,

and His bound ones, He does not shame.

For our lives are spent in sorrow,

and our years in sighing.

For because of [our faith in] You

we are murdered each day;

we are considered as sheep

to be slaughtered.

For You will not forsake us forever, O God.

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.