– for You are a gracious and compassionate GOD and King.
There is none like You in grace and compassion, LORD our GOD. There is none like You, GOD, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness and truth. Save us in Your great compassion; rescue us from storm and turmoil. Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; do not attend to our stubbornness, wickedness and sinfulness. Turn from Your fierce anger, and relent from the evil meant for Your people. Remove from us the scourge of death, for You are compassionate. This is Your way, to show unearned lovingkindness to every generation. Have pity on Your people, LORD, and save us from Your wrath. Remove from us the scourge of plague and the harsh decree, for You are the Guardian of Israel. You are right, my LORD, and we are shamefaced. How can we complain? What can we say? What can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? Let us search our ways and examine them and return to You, for Your right hand is outstretched to receive those who return. Please, LORD, please save. Please, LORD, please send success. Please, LORD, answer us when we call. For You, LORD, we wait. For You, LORD, we hope. For You, LORD, we long. Do not be silent while we suffer, for the nations are saying, “Their hope is lost.” To You alone every knee must bend, and those who hold themselves high bow down.
You who hold out an open hand of repentance to receive transgressors and sinners – our soul is overwhelmed by our great sorrow. Do not forget us for ever. Arise and save us, for we seek refuge in You. Our Father, our King, though we lack righteousness and good deeds, remember for us the covenant of our fathers, and our testimonies daily that “The LORD is One.” Look on our affliction, for many are our sufferings and heartaches. Have pity on us, LORD, in the land of our captivity. Do not pour out Your wrath on us, for we are Your people, the children of Your covenant. GOD, see how low our glory has sunk among the nations. They abhor us as if we were impure. How long will Your strength be captive, and Your glory in the hand of the foe? Arouse Your strength and zeal against Your enemies. Let them be shamed and deprived of power. Let not our hardships seem small to You. Swiftly may Your compassion reach us in the day of our distress. If not for our sake, act for Yours, so that the memory of our survivors be not destroyed. Be gracious to the nation who, in constant love, proclaim twice daily the unity of Your name, saying, “Listen, Israel, the LORD is our GOD, the LORD is One.”
LOWERING THE HEAD
On Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, begin here. The following, until “what to do” on page 119, is said sitting. When praying in a place where there is a Torah scroll, one should rest one’s head on the arm on which the tefillin are not worn.
PSALM 6:2–11
LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger or chastise me in Your wrath. Be gracious to me, LORD, for I am weak. Heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish, and You, O Lord – how long? Turn, LORD, set my soul free; save me for the sake of Your love. For no-one remembers You when he is dead. Who can praise You from the grave? I am weary with my sighing. Every night I drench my bed, I soak my couch with my tears. My eye grows dim from grief, worn out because of all my foes. Leave me, all you evildoers, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping. The LORD has heard my pleas. The LORD will accept my prayer. All my enemies will be shamed and utterly dismayed. They will turn back in sudden shame.
Sit upright. On Mondays and Thursdays, say the following. On Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, continue with “Guardian of Israel” on page 117.
LORD, GOD of Israel, turn away from Your fierce anger, and relent from the evil against Your people. Look down from heaven and see how we have become an object of scorn and derision among the nations. We are regarded as sheep led to the slaughter, to be killed, destroyed, beaten and humiliated. Yet, despite all this, we have not forgotten Your name. Please do not forget us. LORD, GOD of Israel, turn away From Your fierce anger, and relent from the evil against Your people.
Strangers say, “You have no hope or expectation.” Be gracious to the nation whose hope is in Your name. O Pure One, bring our deliverance close. We are exhausted. We are given no rest. May Your compassion suppress Your anger against us. Please turn away from Your fierce anger, and have compassion on the people You chose as Your own.
LORD, GOD of Israel, turn away from Your fierce anger, and relent from the evil against Your people.
Have pity on us, LORD, in Your compassion, and do not hand us over to cruel oppressors. Why should the nations say, “Where is their GOD now?” For Your own sake, deal kindly with us, and do not delay. Please turn away from Your fierce anger, and have compassion on the people You chose as Your own.
LORD, GOD of Israel, turn away from Your fierce anger, and relent from the evil against Your people.
Heed our voice and be gracious. Do not abandon us into the hand of our enemies to blot out our name. Remember what You promised our fathers: “I will make your descendants as many as the stars of heaven” -yet now we are only a few left from many. Yet, despite all this, we have not forgotten Your name. Please do not forget us.
LORD, GOD of Israel, turn away from Your fierce anger, and relent from the evil against Your people.
Help us, GOD of our salvation, for the sake of the glory of Your name. Save us and pardon our sins for Your name’s sake.
LORD, GOD of Israel, turn away from Your fierce anger, and relent from the evil against Your people.
On all days, continue here:
Guardian of a unique nation, guard the remnant of a unique people, and let not that unique nation perish, who proclaim the unity of Your name [saying], “The LORD is our GOD, the LORD is One” Guardian of a holy nation, guard the remnant of that holy nation, and let not the holy nation perish, who three times repeat the threefold declaration of holiness to the Holy One.
You who are conciliated by calls for compassion and placated by pleas, be conciliated and placated toward an afflicted generation, for there is no other help.
Our Father, our King, be gracious to us and answer us, though we have no worthy deeds; act with us in charity and lovingkindness and save us.
Stand at
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