The following verses until “When our strength fails, do not forsake us” are chanted by the Chazzan and repeated by the Congregation.

The Ark is opened:

Hear our voice, Adonoy, our God;

spare us and have compassion on us,

and accept

our prayers mercifully and willingly.

Lead us back to You, Adonoy

and we shall find the way back;

renew our days as of old.

Cast us not away from Your Presence,

and Your holy spirit take not from us.

Do not cast us off in time of old age,

when our strength fails, do not forsake us.

Forsake us not, Adonoy, our God

be not far removed from us.

Give us a sign of Your goodness

that our enemies may see it and be ashamed;

for You, Adonoy, have helped us

and comforted us.

Give ear to our words, Adonoy!

Consider our meditations.

May there be gracious acceptance

for the words of our mouth,

and the meditation of our heart,

before You,

Adonoy, our Rock, and our Redeemer.

For to You Adonoy, we hope

You will answer us Adonoy, our God.

Our God and God of our fathers,

let our prayer come before you

and do not ignore our supplication.

For we are not so brazen-faced

and stiff-necked

to say to you,

Adonoy, our God, and God of our fathers,

“We are righteous and have not sinned.”

But, indeed, we and our fathers have sinned.

We have trespassed [against God and man, and we are devastated by our guilt];

We have betrayed [God and man, we have been ungrateful for the good done to us];

We have stolen; We have slandered;

We have caused others to sin;

We have caused others to commit sins for which they are called רֽשָׁעִים, wicked;

We have sinned with malicious intent;

We have forcibly taken other’s possessions

We have added falsehood upon falsehood; We have joined with evil individuals or groups.

We have given harmful advice;

We have deceived; We have mocked;

We have rebelled against God and His Torah;

We have caused God to be angry with us;

We have turned away from God’s Torah;

We have sinned deliberately;

We have been negligent in our performance of the commandments;

We have caused our friends grief;

We have been stiff-necked, refusing to admit that the cause of our suffering is our own sins.

We have committed sins for which we are called רָשָׁע, [raising a hand to hit someone].

We have committed sins which are the result of moral corruption;

We have committed sins which the Torah refers to as abominations;

We have gone astray;

We have led others astray.

We have turned away

from Your commandments

and from Your good laws,

and we have gained nothing from it.

And You are the Righteous One

in all [punishment] that has come upon us;

for You have acted truthfully

and we have acted wickedly.

We have trespassed

more than any other people,

we are more ashamed

than any other generation;

happiness has departed from us,

our hearts are miserable with our sins;

[the place of] our desire has been devastated,¹⁰

footnotes: ¹⁰ These are all references to the Holy Temple.

[the place of] our glory has been humiliated,¹⁰

footnotes: ¹⁰ These are all references to the Holy Temple.

the abode of our Holy Temple

has been destroyed because of our iniquities;

our Palace has become a desolation,¹⁰

footnotes: ¹⁰ These are all references to the Holy Temple.

our beautiful land belongs to strangers,

our strength [wealth] to foreigners.

Still, we have not repented our errors,

so how can we be so insolent

and obstinate

as to say before You,

“Adonoy, our God, and God of our fathers,

we are righteous and have not sinned.”

But indeed we and our fathers have sinned:

We have trespassed [against God and man, and we are devastated by our guilt];

We have betrayed [God and man, we have been ungrateful for the good done to us];

We have stolen; We have slandered;

We have caused others to sin;

We have caused others to commit sins for which they are called רֽשָׁעִים, wicked;

We have sinned with malicious intent;

We have forcibly taken other’s possessions

We have added falsehood upon falsehood; We have joined with evil individuals or groups.

We have given harmful advice;

We have deceived; We have mocked;

We have rebelled against God and His Torah;

We have caused God to be angry with us;

We have turned away from God’s Torah;

We have sinned deliberately;

We have been negligent in our performance of the commandments;

We have caused our friends grief;

We have been stiff-necked, refusing to admit that the cause of our suffering is our own sins.

We have committed sins for which we are called רָשָׁע, [raising a hand to hit someone].

We have committed sins which are the result of moral corruption;

We have committed sins which the Torah refers to as abominations;

We have gone astray;

We have led others astray.

We have turned away

from Your commandments

and from Your good laws,

and we have gained nothing from it.

And You are the Righteous One

in all [punishment] that has come upon us;

for You have acted truthfully

and we have acted wickedly.

Before our eyes, our toil has been exploited,

torn and stripped from us.

They have their yoke upon us,

we bear it on our shoulders.

Slaves rule over us,

there is none to free us from their hands.

Many troubles have encompassed us,

we called out to You Adonoy, our God,

but You remained distant from us

because of our iniquities.

We turned away from You,

we have gone astray and are lost.

Still, we have not repented our errors,

so how can we be so insolent

and obstinate

as to say before You,

“Adonoy, our God, and God of our fathers,

we are righteous and have not sinned.”

But indeed we and our fathers have sinned:

We have trespassed [against God and man, and we are devastated by our guilt];

We have betrayed [God and man, we have been ungrateful for the good done to us];

We have stolen; We have slandered;

We have caused others to sin;

We have caused others to commit sins for which they are called רֽשָׁעִים, wicked;

We have sinned with malicious intent;

We have forcibly taken other’s possessions

We have added falsehood upon falsehood; We have joined with evil individuals or groups.

We have given harmful advice;

We have deceived; We have mocked;

We have rebelled against God and His Torah;

We have caused God to be angry with us;

We have turned away from God’s Torah;

We have sinned deliberately;

We have been negligent in our performance of the commandments;

We have caused our friends grief;

We have been stiff-necked, refusing to admit that the cause of our suffering is our own sins.

We have committed sins for which we are called רָשָׁע, [raising a hand to hit someone].

We have committed sins which are the result of moral corruption;

We have committed sins which the Torah refers to as abominations;

We have gone astray;

We have led others astray.

We have turned away

from Your commandments

and from Your good laws,

and we have gained nothing from it.

And You are the Righteous One

in all [punishment] that has come upon us;

for You have acted truthfully

and we have acted wickedly.

We have acted wickedly and have transgressed;

we have therefore not been delivered.

Grant that our hearts [be inspired to]

abandon the path of wickedness,

and hasten our deliverance;

as is written by the hand of Your prophet,

“Let the wicked man abandon his ways,

and the man of iniquity his thoughts;

and let him return unto Adonoy,

and He will have compassion on him,

and unto our God

for He pardons abundantly.”

Your righteous annointed [King David]

declared before You,

Errors—who can comprehend?

From hidden [faults], cleanse me.”

Cleanse us, Adonoy, our God,

from all our transgressions,

and purify us from all our defilement.

Sprinkle clean waters on us

and cleanse us,

as it is written by the hand of Your prophet,

“And I will sprinkle clean water upon you,

and you will be clean;

from all your defilements,

and from all your idols,

I will cleanse You.”

Micah, Your servant, said before You,

“Who is an Almighty [God] like You?

Who bears iniquity and overlooks transgression

of the remnant of His inheritance;

Who does not retain His anger forever,

for He delights in kindliness.

He will again have compassion on us,

He will subdue our inquities,

and cast into the depths of the sea,

all their sins.

And all the sins of Your people

the House of Israel,

You will cast into a place

where they will never be remembered

or counted

and never recalled to mind.

You will grant truth to Jacob,

kindliness to Abraham,

as You have sworn to our fathers

from the days of old.”

Daniel, man of [Your] delight,

cried to you,

“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 supplications before You,

but because of Your great mercy.

My Master, hear! my Master, forgive!

My Master, listen and take action,

do not delay!

For Your sake, my God,

for Your Name is proclaimed

over Your city and Your people.”

Ezra, the Scribe, said before You,

“My God, I am [so] ashamed, and disgraced,

that I cannot lift my face to You, my God,

for our iniquities have risen over our heads,

and our guilt has grown to the heavens.”

“And You are a God of pardon,

Gracious, Merciful, Slow to Anger,

and Abundant in Kindness;

and [therefore] You did not forsake them.”

Do not forsake us, our Father,

do not cast us off, our Creator,

do not abandon us, our Maker,

do not consume us

on account of our sins.

Fulfill for us, Adonoy, our God,

the word, You promised

by the hand of Jeremiah, Your seer

as it is said,

“In those days and at that time,

says Adonoy,

the iniquity of Israel will be sought,

and there will be none [found],

and the sins of Judah [will be sought]

but they shall not be found;

for I will pardon

those whom I leave as a remnant.”

Your people and Your inheritance

hunger for Your goodness,

thirst for Your kindness,

long for Your deliverance.

Let them realize and know

that unto Adonoy, our God,

belongs compassion and pardon.