VIDUY

אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ Our God and God of our fathers, let our prayer come before You, and do not hide Yourself from our plea, for we are not so arrogant or obstinate as to say before You, LORD, our God and God of our fathers, we are righteous and have not sinned, for in truth, we and our fathers have sinned.

אָשַֽׁמְנוּ We have sinned, we have acted treacherously, we have robbed, we have spoken slander. We have acted perversely, we have acted wickedly, we have acted presumptuously, we have been violent, we have framed lies. We have given bad advice, we have deceived, we have scorned, we have rebelled, we have provoked, we have turned away, we have committed iniquity, we have transgressed, we have persecuted, we have been obstinate. We have acted wickedly, we have corrupted, we have acted abominably, we have strayed, we have led others astray.

סַֽרְנוּ We have turned away from Your commandments and good laws, to no avail, for You are just in all that has befallen us, for You have acted faithfully while we have done wickedly.

We have been wicked and we have transgressed, and so we have not been saved. Place it in our hearts to abandon the way of wickedness, and hasten our salvation, as it is written by Your prophet: “Let each wicked person abandon his ways, each man of iniquity his thoughts, and let him come back to the LORD and He will have compassion for him, back to our God for He will forgive abundantly.”

אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ Our God, and God of our ancestors, forgive and pardon our iniquities (on Shabbat: this Sabbath day, and on) this Day of Atonement; be responsive to us as we pray, wipe away and remove all our transgressions and sins from before Your eyes, subdue our urges, that they be submitted to You, and temper our obstinacy, that we may return to You truly; renew our conscience that it may guard all Your commands, and circumcise our hearts that we may love and revere Your name, as it is written in Your Torah: “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you shall live.” The deliberate and the unwitting sins you recognize; the willful and the compelled, the open deeds and the hidden – before You they are all revealed and known. What are we? What are our lives? What is our loving-kindness? What is our righteousness? What is our salvation? What is our strength? What is our might? What shall we say before You, LORD our God and God of our ancestors? Are not all the mighty like nothing before You, the men of renown as if they had never been, the wise as if they know nothing, and the understanding as if they lack intelligence? For their many works are in vain, and the days of their lives like a fleeting breath before You. The pre-eminence of man over the animals is nothing, for all is but a fleeting breath.

What can we say before You, You who dwell on high? What can we declare before You, You who abide in heaven? Do You not know all, the hidden and revealed alike?

שִׁמְךָ Your name has always been the Forgiver of Sins. Listen to our pleading as we stand before You in prayer.

Overlook sin, for this people returning from sin, and wipe our transgressions away before Your eyes.

אַתָּה יוֹדֵֽעַ You know every secret since the world began, and what is hidden deep inside every living thing. You search each person’s inner chambers, examining conscience and mind. Nothing is shrouded from You, and nothing is hidden before Your eyes. And so, may it be Your will, LORD our God and God of our ancestors, that You forgive us all our sins, pardon all our iniquities, and grant us atonement for all of our transgressions.

עַל חֵטְא For the sin we have sinned before You under duress or freewill, and for the sin we have sinned before You in hardness of heart.

For the sin we have sinned before You unwittingly, and for the sin we have sinned before You by an utterance of our lips.

For the sin we have sinned before You by unchastity, and for the sin we have sinned before You openly or secretly.

For the sin we have sinned before You knowingly and deceitfully, and for the sin we have sinned before You in speech.

For the sin we have sinned before You by wronging a neighbor, and for the sin we have sinned before You by thoughts of the heart.

For the sin we have sinned before You in a gathering for immorality, and for the sin we have sinned before You by insincere confession.

For the sin we have sinned before You by contempt for parents and teachers, and for the sin we have sinned before You willfully or in error.

For the sin we have sinned before You by force, and for the sin we have sinned before You by desecrating Your name.

For the sin we have sinned before You by impure lips, and for the sin we have sinned before You by foolish speech.

For the sin we have sinned before You by the evil inclination, and for the sin we have sinned before You knowingly or unwittingly.

For all these, God of forgiveness, forgive us, pardon us, grant us atonement.

For the sin we have sinned before You by deceit and lies, and for the sin we have sinned before You by bribery.

For the sin we have sinned before You by scorn, and for the sin we have sinned before You by evil speech.

For the sin we have sinned before You in business, and for the sin we have sinned before You with food and drink.

For the sin we have sinned before You by interest and extortion, and for the sin we have sinned before You by being haughty.

For the sin we have sinned before You by the idle chatter of our lips, and for the sin we have sinned before You by prying eyes.

For the sin we have sinned before You by arrogance, and for the sin we have sinned before You by insolence.

For all these, God of forgiveness, forgive us, pardon us, grant us atonement.

For the sin we have sinned before You by casting off the yoke, and for the sin we have sinned before You by perverting judgment.

For the sin we have sinned before You by entrapping a neighbor, and for the sin we have sinned before You by envy.

For the sin we have sinned before You by lack of seriousness, and for the sin we have sinned before You by obstinacy.

For the sin we have sinned before You by running to do evil, and for the sin we have sinned before You by gossip.

For the sin we have sinned before You by vain oath, and for the sin we have sinned before You by baseless hatred.

For the sin we have sinned before You by breach of trust, and for the sin we have sinned before You by confusion of heart.

For all these, God of forgiveness, forgive us, pardon us, grant us atonement.

וְעַל חֲטָאִים And for the sins for which we are liable to bring a burnt-offering,

and for the sins for which we are liable to bring a sin-offering,

and for the sins for which we are liable to bring an offering according to our means,

and for the sins for which we are liable to bring a guilt-offering for certain or possible sin,

and for the sins for which we are liable to lashes for rebellion,

and for the sins for which we are liable to forty lashes,

and for the sins for which we are liable to death by the hands of Heaven,

and for the sins for which we are liable to be cut off and childless,

and for the sins for which we are liable to the four death penalties inflicted by the court: stoning, burning, beheading and strangling.

עַל מִצְוַת For positive and negative commandments, whether they can be remedied by an act or not, for sins known to us and for those that are unknown – for those that are known, we have already declared them before You and confessed them to You; and for those that are unknown, before You they are revealed and known, as it is said, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed are for us and our children for ever, that we may fulfill all the words of this Torah.”

וְדָוִד David Your servant said before You: “Who can discern his own mistakes? Cleanse me of my hidden faults.” Cleanse us, LORD our God, of all our transgressions, and purify us of all our impurities, and throw clear waters over us to purify us, as was written by Your prophet: “I shall throw clear waters over you and you shall be pure. I shall purify you of all your impurities and of all your idolatry.”

אַל תִּירָא Do not be afraid, Jacob. Come back, wayward children, come back Israel. See: the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. As is written by Your prophet, “Come back, Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity.” And it is said, “Take up words to bring with you, and come back to the LORD. Tell Him: Forgive all our iniquities and take what is good; we shall offer up our words instead of bullocks.”

וְאַתָּה And You are compassionate, accepting those who return, and You have promised us repentance from the very beginning, and it is for repentance that our eyes search after You. It was voted upon and agreed, in the company of wise men, learned in Torah – happy is one who was never created.

וּמֵאַהֲבָתְךָ But because of Your love, LORD our God, with which You have loved Your people Israel, and because of Your mercy, our King, with which You have had mercy on the children of Your covenant, You have given us, LORD our God, (on Shabbat: this Sabbath day for holiness and rest, and) this fast day of Yom Kippur for our sins to be pardoned, our iniquities forgiven and all our rebellions atoned.

יוֹם אָתָא A day that comes to atone for the sins of Your sleeping nation, this day which comes just once a year. As it is written in Your Torah: “And this shall serve you as an eternal law, to bring atonement on the children of Israel for all their sins once a year.

A day that was given as a testament to this nation; the day when [Moses] the faithful emissary pled, “Please forgive the iniquities of this nation.” As it is written in Your Torah: “Forgive, please, this people’s iniquity in the abundance of Your kindness, as You have forgiven this people from the time of Egypt until now,” and there it is said: “And the Lord said, I have forgiven as you asked.”

For the honor of Your name, be receptive to us, You who pardons and forgives, please forgive for the sake of Your name.

A day of pardon You announced to [Moses] Your emissary, as inscribed; the day when You stood with him and called out Your name. As it is written in Your Torah: “And the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed in the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him and proclaimed: The LORD, the LORD, compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving-kindness and truth, extending loving-kindness to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion and sin, and absolving [the guilty who repent].”

For the honor of Your name, be receptive to us, You who pardons and forgives, please forgive for the sake of Your name.

A day You behold the ruins of Your Temple; this day, may You lend Your ears to our prayers and behold us.

As it is written in Your holy scriptures: Give ear, my God and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolation, and the city that bears Your name, for it is not on the strength of our righteousness that we throw down our pleadings before You, but on the strength of Your great compassion. Lord, hear me; Lord, forgive; Lord, listen and act and do not delay – for Your sake, my God; for Your city and Your people bear Your name.

For the honor of Your name, be receptive to us, You who pardons and forgives, please forgive for the sake of Your name.

מִי אֵל כָּמֽוֹך Who, God, is like You?

Mighty and luminous, / Creator of heaven and earth. Who, God, is like You?

Revealer of deep secrets, / Speaker of righteous truths. Who, God, is like You?

Splendid in His garb, / there is none but Him.Who, God, is like You?

He raises those bowed down, / shows favor to the needy. Who, God, is like You?

His eyes are pure, / residing in the heavens. Who, God, is like You?

He suppresses iniquity, / is clothed in righteousness. Who, God, is like You?

King of kings, / awesome and sublime. Who, God, is like You?

He raises up the fallen, / responds to the oppressed. Who, God, is like You?

He redeems and saves, / strides in His great strength. Who, God, is like You?

He is near to those who call on Him; / He is lofty and listens to our cries. Who, God, is like You?

He resides in the heavens, / He supports the innocent. Who, God, is like You?

He forgives iniquity, / and overlooks transgressions. Who, God, is like You?

As was written by Your prophet: Who, God, is like You, who forgives iniquity and overlooks the transgression of the remnant of Your heritage. He does not remain angry forever, for He desires loving-kindness. He shall relent and show us compassion, He shall suppress our iniquities, casting all of our sins into the depths of the sea. And all the sins of Your nation, the house of Israel, cast them down where they shall not be remembered nor recalled nor come to mind ever again. Grant truth to Jacob, loving-kindness to Abraham, as You promised our ancestors in ancient times.

אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ Our God and God of our ancestors, pardon our iniquities on (this Sabbath day, and on) this Day of Atonement; wipe away and remove all our transgressions and sins from before Your eyes, as it is said: “I, I am the One who shall wipe out your transgressions for My sake, and I shall not recall your sins.” And it is said: “I have wiped out your transgressions like a cloud, and as a haze your sins; come back to Me for I have redeemed you.” And it is said: For on this day you will be atoned and made pure; of all your sins before the LORD you shall be purified. (Our God and God of our ancestors, find favor in our rest.) Make us holy through Your commandments and grant us our share in Your Torah. Satisfy us with Your goodness, grant us joy in Your salvation (in love and favor, O LORD our God, grant us as our heritage Your holy Sabbath, so that Israel, who sanctify Your name, may find rest on it), and purify our hearts to serve You in truth. For You are the Forgiver of Israel and the Pardoner of the tribes of Yeshurun in every generation, and without You we have no king who pardons and forgives, none but You. Blessed are You, LORD, King who pardons and forgives our iniquities and those of all His people the house of Israel, and makes our guilt pass away, every single year, King of all the earth, who sanctifies (the Sabbath,) Israel and the Day of Atonement.