Our God and God of our fathers!

I resemble a lion in the forest¹

footnotes: ¹ Based on Jeremiah 12:8. This is a reference to an unfit person who steps down to the Ark to act as Chazzan. See Mesechet Taanis 16b.

and I am so likened because of my guilt.

My utterance is foolish,

my words are exaggerated;

I am deprived of intercessors²

footnotes: ² Lit. those who knock at Your door.

such as [Mordchai] ben Kish,

Mispar and Bigvai.³

footnotes: ³ These were colleagues of Mordchai.

[Therefore] every head is sick

and every heart is faint.

Faint, exiled, and despised,

I am pained and distressed,

I am chased about and broken,

I am filled and intoxicated with wormwood,

I am oppressed by masters

to whom I was sold for naught;

yet, when my soul fainted within me,

I remembered Adonoy.

I remembered Your kindness and love

which were like a banner over me;⁴

footnotes: ⁴ A reference to the banners of the tribes as they were encamped in the wilderness.

they removed my guilt

and made me Your treasure.

But now, Your flock [Israel]

is left with only entreaty and prayer.

May the poorest among men [Israel]

rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Your servants will exult and rejoice

when You remember my walls;⁵

footnotes: ⁵ Jerusalem is the speaker.

to surround them with precious stones—

when [will You do this]?

My city is become a ruined heap forever,

and my heights are laid low;

and You, Adonoy, for how long?

When will You revive us,

and bring us up from the abyss?

O glorious One,

loosen and remove the straps of our yoke,

fill our storehouses with plenty,

and prosper our endeavors;

may Your kindness, Adonoy, be upon us.

May Your mercy be full upon us,

as we seek You in distress.

I stretch out my hands to You,

I seek You from within [my heart],

my soul thirsts after You in the night,⁶

footnotes: ⁶ A metaphor for exile.

for I have desired You;

Adonoy, put me not to shame

when I call upon You.

I call upon You from the depth,⁷

footnotes: ⁷ Of my heart.

I lift my eyes [to the heavens],

I lift my hands to the heights,

I let my fountain of tears spread out;

O look at my virtuous deeds,

blot out and remove my wickedness.

Adonoy, hear my prayer,

give ear to my supplication.

Give ear to my supplication, my Foster,

my Creator, and my Pedagogue.

To You are revealed and known

my wishes and hopes—

that my intentional sins be sunken,⁸

footnotes: ⁸ In the depths of the sea.

and my unintentional ones be atoned.

Give ear to my words, Adonoy,

and consider my meditations.

May my meditations be regarded as pure,

and my prayer correct.

Hear, O God,

forgive my unworthy and perverse deeds,

strengthen those who praise You,

and accept my words,

and let the meditations of my heart

be before You, my Rock and my Redeemer.

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.”

O Israel, return

unto Adonoy, your God,

for you have stumbled in your iniquity.

Adonoy, do not rebuke us with Your anger,

nor chastise us with Your rage.

We are sunk in muddy depths [of sin]

without a foothold,

we have come into deep waters

and the whirlpool has swept us away.

Cause us to return to You, Adonoy,

and we shall return;

renew our days as of old.

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.