Hebrew
בִּימֵי מַתִּתְיָהוּ בֶּן יוֹחָנָן כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, חַשְׁמוֹנָאִי
וּבָנָיו, כְּשֶׁעָמְדָה מַלְכוּת יָוָן הָרְשָׁעָה
עַל עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְהַשְׁכִּיחָם תּוֹרָתֶךָ
וּלְהַעֲבִירָם מֵחֻקֵּי רְצוֹנֶךָ,<sup>1</sup> וְאַתָּה בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ
הָרַבִּים, עָמַדְתָּ לָהֶם בְּעֵת צָרָתָם. רַבְתָּ אֶת
רִיבָם, דַּנְתָּ אֶת דִּינָם, נָקַמְתָּ אֶת נִקְמָתָם,
מָסַרְתָּ גִבּוֹרִים בְּיַד חַלָּשִׁים, וְרַבִּים בְּיַד
מְעַטִּים, וּטְמֵאִים בְּיַד טְהוֹרִים,<sup>2</sup> וּרְשָׁעִים
בְּיַד צַדִּיקִים, וְזֵדִים בְּיַד עוֹסְקֵי תוֹרָתֶךָ.<sup>3</sup> וּלְךָ
עָשִׂיתָ שֵׁם גָּדוֹל וְקָדוֹשׁ בְּעוֹלָמֶךָ, וּלְעַמְּךָ
יִשְׂרָאֵל עָשִׂיתָ תְּשׁוּעָה גְדוֹלָה וּפֻרְקָן כְּהַיּוֹם
הַזֶּה. וְאַחַר כָּךְ בָּאוּ בָנֶיךָ לִדְבִיר בֵּיתֶךָ, וּפִנּוּ
אֶת הֵיכָלֶךָ, וְטִהֲרוּ אֶת מִקְדָּשֶׁךָ, וְהִדְלִיקוּ
נֵרוֹת בְּחַצְרוֹת קָדְשֶׁךָ.<sup>4</sup> וְקָבְעוּ שְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי
חֲנֻכָּה אֵלּוּ, לְהוֹדוֹת וּלְהַלֵּל לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל:
Sephardi
Bimei Matityahu ben Yochanan kohen gadol, Chashmona'i
uvanav, keshe'amedah malchut Yavan harasha'ah
al amecha Yisrael, lehashkicham Toratecha
uleha'aviram meichukei retzonecha,<sup>1</sup> ve'atah berachamecha
harabim, amadta lahem be'et tzaratam. Ravta et
rivam, danta et dinam, nakamta et nikmatam,
masarta gibborim beyad chalashim, verabim beyad
me'atim, utme'im beyad tehorim,<sup>2</sup> uresha'im
beyad tzaddikim, vezeidim beyad oskei Toratekha.<sup>3</sup> Ulecha
asita shem gadol vekadosh be'olamecha, ule'amcha
Yisrael asita teshu'ah gedolah ufurkan kehayom
hazeh. Ve'achar kach ba'u vanecha lidvir beitecha, ufinu
et heichalecha, vetiharu et mikdashecha, vehidliku
nerot bechatzrot kodshecha.<sup>4</sup> Vekav'u shemonat yemei
Chanukah elu, lehodot ulehallel leshimcha hagadol:
English
In the days of Mattityahu, the son of Yochanan the High Priest, who was from the Hasmonean family, and his sons—when the wicked Syrian-Greek empire, led by king Antiochus, rose up and took control over Your nation, the Children of Israel, enacting decrees to make the Jewish Nation forget Your Torah and turn them away from the decrees that You want them to keep—You,<sup>1</sup> God, in Your great mercy, stood by the Jewish Nation and helped them in their time of difficulty. You fought their wars, defended their rights, and avenged the wrong done to them. You put the mighty Syrian-Greek army into the hand of the weak Jewish army, and the great Syrian-Greek army was defeated; You put their many soldiers into the hand of our few; You put the impure who fought against You, into the hand of the pure Jewish army;<sup>2</sup> You put the wicked into the hand of the righteous; You put the sinners into the hand of those who occupy themselves with Your Torah.<sup>3</sup> Through these great acts, You made a great and holy name for Yourself in Your world. And for Your nation, the Children of Israel, You brought about a great salvation and redemption; it is spoken about and praised to this very day. After they won the war, Your children, the Jewish Nation, entered the Holy Temple, cleaned out the idols that the Syrian-Greeks had put in Your Sanctuary, and purified Your Holy Temple. They lit candles of celebration in and around the courtyards of Your Holy Temple,<sup>4</sup> and they instituted these eight days of Chanukah to give thanks and praise to Your great name.