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Hebrew

וְעַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ, אֲשֶׁר
הוֹצֵאתָ אֶת עַמְּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם
בְּיָד חֲזָקָה, וַתַּעַשׂ לְךָ שֵׁם כַּיּוֹם
הַזֶּה, חָטָאנוּ רָשָׁעְנוּ: אֲדֹנָי, כְּכָל
צִדְקֹתֶיךָ יָשָׁב נָא אַפְּךָ וַחֲמָתְךָ
מֵעִירְךָ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם הַר קָדְשֶׁךָ,
כִּי בַחֲטָאֵינוּ וּבַעֲוֹנוֹת אֲבֹתֵינוּ,
יְרוּשָׁלַיִם וְעַמְּךָ לְחֶרְפָּה לְכָל
סְבִיבֹתֵינוּ: וְעַתָּה שְׁמַע אֱלֹהֵינוּ
אֶל תְּפִלַּת עַבְדְּךָ וְאֶל תַּחֲנוּנָיו
וְהָאֵר פָּנֶיךָ עַל מִקְדָּשְׁךָ הַשָּׁמֵם,
לְמַעַן אֲדֹנָי:

Sephardi

Ve-attah Adonai Eloheinu, asher
hotzeta et amecha mei'eretz Mitzrayim
b'yad chazakah, va-ta'as lecha shem kayom
hazeh, chatanu rasha'nu: Adonai, ke-khol
tzidkotekha yashav na ap'cha va-chamatkha
me-irkha Yerushalayim har kodshecha,
ki va-chata'einu u-va-avonot avoteinu,
Yerushalayim ve-ammekha le-cherpah lechol
sevivotenu: ve-attah shema Eloheinu
el tefillat avdekha ve-el tachanunav
ve-ha'er panekha al mikdashekha ha-shamem,
lema'an Adonai:

English

And now, Lord, our God, Who brought the Jewish Nation, Your nation, out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and made for Yourself a great name, one that is known to this day, we admit that we have sinned and we have acted wickedly. Lord, just as You showed us all Your kindness and righteousness when You redeemed us from Egypt, so too, now, please show us Your righteousness and turn away Your anger and Your fury from Your city, Jerusalem, where Your holy Temple Mount is. Because through our sins and the sins of our ancestors, Jerusalem and Your nation, the Jewish Nation, have been put to shame in front of those who surround us. And now, God, listen to the prayer and pleading of Your servant, and let Your presence shine on Your Holy Temple, which is destroyed and desolate. If You do not do it for our sake, do it for Your own sake, Lord.

Hebrew

הַטֵּה אֱלֹהַי אָזְנְךָ וּשֲׁמָע, פְּקַח
עֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה שֹׁמְמֹתֵינוּ,
וְהָעִיר אֲשֶׁר נִקְרָא שִׁמְךָ עָלֶיהָ,
כִּי לֹא עַל צִדְקֹתֵינוּ אֲנַחְנוּ
מַפִּילִים תַּחֲנוּנֵינוּ לְפָנֶיךָ, כִּי עַל
רַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים: אֲדֹנָי שְׁמָעָה,
אֲדֹנָי סְלָחָה, אֲדֹנָי הַקְשִׁיבָה1,
וַעֲשֵׂה אַל תְּאַחַר, לְמַעַנְךָ אֱלֹהַי,
כִּי שִׁמְךָ נִקְרָא עַל עִירְךָ
וְעַל עַמֶּךָ:

Sephardi

Hateh Elohai oznecha u-shama, p'kach
einecha ur'eh shomemoteinu,
v'ha'ir asher nikra shimcha alehah,
ki lo al tzidkoteinu anachnu
mapilim tachanuneinu lefanecha, ki al
rachamecha harabim: Adonai shema'ah,
Adonai selachah, Adonai hakshivah1,
va'aseh al t'achar, lema'ancha Elohai,
ki shimcha nikra al irecha
ve'al amecha:

English

My God, turn Your ear toward us and listen. Open Your eyes and see our ruined, empty places: see how Jerusalem, the city that is called by Your name and is known to be Yours, is in ruins. For it is not because of our righteousness that we bring our pleadings before you. Rather, we pray to You, hoping that our prayers will be answered because of Your great mercy. Lord, listen to our prayers. Lord, forgive us for our sins. Lord, pay attention to our cries1 and take action. Do not delay. Do this for Your sake, my God, because Your city, Jerusalem, and Your nation, the Jewish Nation, are called by Your name; they are known to be Yours, and it would bring dishonor to You if they were to suffer.

Hebrew

אָבִינוּ אָב הָרַחֲמָן, הַרְאֵנוּ
אוֹת לְטוֹבָה וְקַבֵּץ נְפוּצוֹתֵינוּ
מֵאַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת הָאָרֶץ, יַכִּירוּ
וְיֵדְעוּ כָּל הַגּוֹיִם, כִּי אַתָּה יְיָ
אֱלֹהֵינוּ. וְעַתָּה יְיָ אָבִינוּ אַתָּה,
אֲנַחְנוּ הַחֹמֶר וְאַתָּה יֹצְרֵנוּ,
וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדְךָ כֻּלָּנוּ: אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ
צוּרֵנוּ וְגוֹאֲלֵנוּ. חוּסָה יְיָ עַל עַמֶּךָ,
וְאַל תִּתֵּן נַחֲלָתְךָ לְחֶרְפָּה לִמְשָׁל
בָּם גּוֹיִם, לָמָּה יֹאמְרוּ בָעַמִּים
אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם: יָדַעְנוּ כִּי חָטָאנוּ,
וְאֵין מִי יַעֲמוֹד בַּעֲדֵנוּ, אֶלָּא שִׁמְךָ
הַגָּדוֹל יַעֲמוֹד לָנוּ בְּעֵת צָרָה. כְּרַחֵם
אָב עַל בָּנִים, כֵּן תְּרַחֵם יְיָ עָלֵינוּ2
וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ. חֲמוֹל עַל
עַמֶּךָ, רַחֵם עַל נַחֲלָתֶךָ, חוּסָה נָא
כְּרוֹב רַחֲמֶיךָ, חָנֵּנוּ וַעֲנֵנוּ, כִּי לְךָ יְיָ
הַצְּדָקָה, עֹשֵׂה נִפְלָאוֹת בְּכָל עֵת:

Sephardi

Avinu Av harachaman, har'enu
ot letovah ve-kabbetz nefutzotenu
mei'arba kanfot ha'aretz, yakiru
veyede'u kol hagoyim, ki Atah Adonai
Eloheinu. Ve-attah Adonai Avinu Atah,
anachnu ha-chomer ve'atah yotzerenu,
uma'aseh yad'cha kullanu: Avinu Malkeinu
Tzureinu ve-Go'alenu. Chusah Adonai al amecha,
ve-al titen nachalatecha le-cherpah limshal
bam goyim, lamah yomru va'amim
ayeh Eloheihem: yada'nu ki chatanu,
ve-ein mi ya'amod ba'adeinu, ela shimcha
hagadol ya'amod lanu be'et tzarah. K'rachem
av al banim, ken terachem Adonai aleinu2
ve-hoshi'enu lema'an shemecha. Chamol al
amecha, rachem al nachalatekha, chusah na
ke-rov rachamecha, chonenu va'aneinu, ki lecha Adonai
ha-tzedakah, oseh nifla'ot bechol et:

English

God, our Father, the merciful Father, show us a sign of kindness and gather together those of us who are scattered across the four corners of the earth, so that all the nations will recognize and know that You, Lord, are our God. And now, Lord, even after all the sins we have committed, You are still our Father. We are like clay, and You are the One Who shapes us; we are all the work of Your hands. You are our Father, our King, our strength, and our Redeemer. Lord, have pity on Your nation, the Jewish Nation, and do not let Your heritage be put to shame; do not let the nations of the world rule over the Jewish Nation. Why should the nations be able to say about the Jewish Nation, “Where is their God? Why does He not help them?” We know that we have sinned, and there is no person who will stand up for us to protect us. Only Your great name will stand up for us to protect us in our difficult times. Just as a father has mercy on his children, so too, Lord, have mercy on us and save us2 for the sake of Your name, so that everyone should see that You are a God Who saves His nation. Spare Your nation from punishment. Have mercy on the Jewish Nation, Your heritage. Please have pity on us, in accordance with Your great mercy. Be gracious to us and answer us, because righteousness belongs to You, Lord—You are a fair and righteous judge. You are the One Who does wonders and miracles for us at all times.

Hebrew

הַבֵּט נָא, וְהוֹשִׁיעָה צֹאן מַרְעִיתֶךָ.
וְאַל יִמְשָׁל בָּנוּ קֶצֶף, כִּי לְךָ
יְיָ הַיְשׁוּעָה, בְּךָ תּוֹחַלְתֵּנוּ אֱלוֹהַּ
סְלִיחוֹת. אָנָּא, סְלַח נָא, כִּי אֵל
טוֹב וְסַלָּח אָתָּה:

Sephardi

Habet na, vehoshiah tzon mar'itekha.
Ve-al yimshal banu ketzef, ki lecha
Adonai hayeshu'ah, b'cha tochaltenu Elo'ah
s'lichot. Ana, s'lach na, ki El
tov v'salach Atah:

English

Please God, look down from heaven and save us. We are Your sheep, which You take care of and protect. Do not let anger take control over us, because You, Lord, have the power of salvation. Our hope is in You, God. You are the God Who forgives. Please God, forgive us, because You are a good and forgiving God.

Commentary

1 We ask God to “listen, forgive, and pay attention”—in that specific order. Though at first glance the terms “listen” and “pay attention” appear synonymous, there is an important difference between them: We can listen to something without necessarily understanding what it means, but we can only pay attention to something if we understand it. Accordingly, “pay attention” refers to a higher level of awareness than “listen.” Before we can expect God to “pay attention” to us, however, we must be forgiven for our sins. For this reason, we first ask God to “listen” to our prayers on a basic level, then we ask to “forgive” us for our sins, and only then do we ask Him to pay proper attention to us and respond to our needs.

2 A father has mercy on his child for two reasons: First, because he has a natural closeness and connection with his child; and second, because he knows his child’s natural tendencies and therefore understands his behavior and forgives him more easily. We ask God to treat us, His children, in the same manner.