This prayer was composed by Rav Shlomo HaBavli.

Our God and God of our fathers!

We yearn for You

as the stag for flowing streams;

we long for the time of redemption,

but [thus far] in vain.

Distant, and remote,

our release [from exile] seems unattainable,

yet, we hope and wait

and do not cease to trust.

Those who thirst after You,

pour hope into their hearts,

that they will yet appear before You

in their beloved Temple

amidst a throng [of worshippers]

with a pillar of fire around them.

Remove the uncircumcised and unclean,

who are their enemies.

Let us cut them off

and inherit them,

they said and thought [this];

from the inheritance You granted them,

they have driven Your people away,

and each day, our destruction,

they still seek;

they tax us and rob us,

further impoverishing Your poor ones.

They humiliate Your loved ones [Israel],

calling them dogs.

Stupid and disgusting

are their razored shaven priests.

They [Israel] however hear their reproach

without retorting,

they do not accept their religions

but go to the scaffolds because of You.

And as for us,

our suffering is before You;

in the face of these things

will You refrain and be silent

at our affliction?

Even in the shadow of death

our eyes are turned to You.

We are called by Your Name,

let it not be profaned,

in You, all of Israel is praised.

Even if our iniquities are so many

that the world is filled with them,

“I will blot out your transgressions,”

were the words spoken by You. (Isaiah 43:25)

Regard our intentional sins as errors

and do not punish us,

beyond the letter of the law,

deal with us.

Because of Your everlasting truth,

may our oppressors be disgraced;

let the banner be raised,

and the scattered of Israel be gathered.

Favor the daughters of my scattered ones,¹

footnotes: ¹ Israel.

and accept their offerings;

gather the dispersed of the tenth exile

together with those of the previous nine exiles.²

footnotes: ² Before the destruction of the First Temple. See Abarbanel to the Book of Kings.

Let sin be drowned,

and wickedness not be remembered,

O You Who forgives iniquity

and removes transgression.

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.”

We have no mouth [words] to answer,

nor the brazeness to lift our head.

A man will not redeem his brother,

neither can he give to God his ransom.

Redeem Israel, O God,

from all its anguish.

Be gracious to us Adonoy with Your kindness,

with Your abundant mercies, turn to us.

Adonoy redeems the soul of His servants,

and none are doomed

all who take refuge in Him.

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.