Our God and God of our fathers!

Establish peace for us,

seal our fate that we may live.

We will arrange a prayer before You,

[through] repentance, prayer, and charity,

we shall see Your countenance

so that we may cling to God,

and the result of the charity shall be

peace.¹

footnotes: ¹ As a reward for our charity God will give us peace.

Peace to the far one² and the near one³,

footnotes: ² I.e. the penitent. ³ I.e. the righteous one.

to the besieged city;

a small city

and a great king has surrounded it

to prevent escape.⁴

footnotes: ⁴ “A small … escape.” A parable that compares man to a small city, the evil inclination—to a king and the good inclination to a wise and poor man.

The poor wise one

will facilitate escape for the city

without need for fortifications.

The good inclination depends [on You],

[therefore] preserve [for him] peace.

An abundance of peace [shall there be]

to those that love Your Torah

and no illness [shall befall them].

You Who saves Your nation,

and Who are their strength,

their escape and their hope—

judge Your people with compassion,

and command the deliverance of Jacob.

And let Your nation reside

in a dwelling of peace.

We hoped for peace and goodness

but we suffered destruction and ruin.

To those who need to leave or to enter [the city]

they cannot enter or leave.⁵

footnotes: ⁵ Out of fear.

But, if He will forgive our sins

as a Kingly gift,

then I would be in His eyes

as one who [sought and] found peace.

[Bring us] peace, charity and kindness

to whiten the red thread.⁶

footnotes: ⁶ On Yom Kippur a red thread was tied to a goat which was sent to Azazel and there pushed down the mountainside. The red thread would miraculously turn white as a sign of forgiveness from God.

Adonoy, deliver Your people—

the remnant.

Establish a covenant with them

as the prophet foretold and engraved:

“And I will establish with them

a covenant of peace.”

Call with peace

to Your perfect dove [saying:]

“Let Me hear your voice,

for the sound of your voice is sweet

and your vision is lovely,” when you pray.

He will expand the place of your dwelling,

the Protector of Jacob will redeem you,

the One Who makes your borders peaceful.

The One Who makes peace above

will make peace for the humiliated people,

a denigrated and trampled nation

by an oppressor who plunders.

[A nation] dragged and plucked

will [eventually] present tribute,⁷

footnotes: ⁷ I.e. when the Temple will be rebuilt we will again offer sacrifices.

as the prophet promised,

and that will be [real] peace.

[God, whose Name is] ‘Sholom,’

will rest His Presence around his nation,⁸

footnotes: ⁸ As their protector.

and will serve as his support.

The ministers of Edom

will be gripped with trepidation.

And send to Your children.

Elijah the Gileadite,⁹

footnotes: ⁹ To herald the coming of the Messiah.

[You, God] the Advisor, the Almighty

the Strong one, Who endures forever,

[let] peace rule!

He is called “Sholom”

and He is master above all who rule.

He forgives the sins of His nation

and conceals their iniquities;

He accepts penitents

with an outstretched hand

and protects those who fear Him.

Dominion and fear are His,

He [is the One that] brings peace.

“Sholom,” Who heralds good tidings

and proclaims salvation from on high.

He reigns over all

“Adonoy of Hosts,” is His Name.

When He speaks the entire world trembles

when it rises to be judged.

Adonoy will give strength to his people;

Adonoy will bless His people with peace.

Peace be with you! do not fear,

for you shall yet come to see.¹⁰

footnotes: ¹⁰ During the Temple it was a Mitzvah to appear before God, in the בֵּית הַמָקֽדָשׁ, three times a year.

They will play with you on their laps¹¹

footnotes: ¹¹ The nations of the world will yet come to love Israel and delight in them as a father playing with his child in his lap.

and you will be carried at their side.¹²

footnotes: ¹² The nations will support and honor you.

The return of Adonoy to Zion

you will witness with your own eyes,

for joyfully shall you leave¹³ and in peace.

footnotes: ¹³ The exile.

Spread peace like a flowing river,

and turn into precious stones its boundaries.¹⁴

footnotes: ¹⁴ The stones marking the boundaries of Jerusalem.

She [Jerusalem] is the basis¹⁵

footnotes: ¹⁵ For the Jewish nation.

that Your right hand established,

and gather her children [to her].

Sprinkle purifying water [upon her]

and cleanse the defilement of her skirts

and call to her in peace.

We will lie together in peace

and sleep [without fear]

and Adonoy will watch over us.

Do not abandon us forever.

Why do You [seem to] sleep, awaken!

and bring our righteousness to light

and prepare our prophet¹⁶ [to come] speedily

footnotes: ¹⁶ Elijah.

so that we may increase our dominion

and [let there be] peace.

[Grant] a good peace from a good Master

to those who come to You to be scrutinized.

Do not permit Your anger

to examine us in judgement.

Fulfill Your promise to Jacob

and [let] the benevolence of Abraham [serve—

as a merit] that we be judged favorably.

[When] benevolence and truth combine

[then there is] righteousness and peace.

With peace and prime wheat,¹⁷

footnotes: ¹⁷ Abundant and good quality crops.

satiate the descendants of Abraham.¹⁸

footnotes: ¹⁸ “עֵבֶר—Abraham who is called הָעִבְרִי.

Those whose hope is to Adonoy,

let their strength be renewed

and let new limbs grow.¹⁹

footnotes: ¹⁹ To hasten their return to their land.

Then their King will pass before them,

[the King] Who passes over their iniquity,

He will seek what is good for his nation

and address them in peace.

Give peace to the children [of Israel]

who are blessed by [You], Adonoy.

The beautiful nation

that has been blackened.

Present her [to the nations] for praise,

for honor, and for splendor.

Fulfill for her the prophecy

that You engraved:

“And I shall reveal to them abundant peace.”

Peace and an everlasting covenant

there shall be unto the people

that is close to Him.

[The reward] that has been preserved

for those who fear Him,

how great is its goodness!

For they shall explicitly see

when He shall return to Zion,

and this entire nation

shall come to its place²⁰ in peace.

footnotes: ²⁰ I.e. the land of Israel.

Peace has turned to bitterness for me

for they have plundered my land.

They looted and trampled,

they overpowered and became haughty.

The nations destroyed the cities

until they were laid to waste.

They bite with their teeth

but [outwardly] they call for peace.

Call for peace unto the Jewish nation

and seek to bring them up from the pit.²¹

footnotes: ²¹ I.e. the exile.

From east and west

gather in their remnants.

of Edom and Moab.

Break the heavy yoke

Pursue them,

and remove peace from them.

Reward Your servants with peace,

You, Who created heaven and earth.

In time of oppression

He responds to free them.

Oh, how the gold has tarnished

and the golden vessel deteriorated.²²

footnotes: ²² “Oh … deteriorated” i.e. Oh, how the stature of the People of Israel has fallen!

For it has been too long

that our soul has resided

together with the enemies of peace.²³

footnotes: ²³ Our lengthy exposure to the nations of the world has been the cause of our deterioration.

[God] bring peace to the land

and lead the nations to be under our rule.

Rather than ourselves, let the nations

suffer constant ruination,

for Adonoy judges [them] with fire,

but to His armies²⁴ let Him give strength.

footnotes: ²⁴ I.e. nation of Israel.

Oh that I may hear

that which the Almighty Adonoy speaks

when He speaks words of peace.

May there be endless peace

upon the throne

of the stock of the ‘young lion.’²⁵

footnotes: ²⁵ “The stock … lion” i.e. the Kingdom of Judah.

May his light shine forever

without being extinguished.

Strengthen us from “the two days,”²⁶

footnotes: ²⁶ I.e. the destruction of both Temples.

so that on “the third day”²⁷

footnotes: ²⁷ I.e. the coming third Temple.

we may be established and live.

To David and his descendants

and to his throne

let there be peace.

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.”

The [correct offerings to God,

a broken spirit,

a broken and humbled heart;

God, You will not despise.

You will grant truth to Jacob,

kindliness to Abraham,

as You have sworn to our fathers

from the days of old.

And the kindliness of Adonoy

is forever and ever

upon those who fear Him,

and His righteousness

upon children’s children.

Adonoy is near to the broken-hearted;

and those crushed in spirit, He delivers.

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.