A Prayer from the Ruins.

מַשְׂכִּ֗יל לְאָ֫סָ֥ף לָמָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים זָנַ֣חְתָּ לָנֶ֑צַח יֶעְשַׁ֥ן אַ֝פְּךָ֗ בְּצֹ֣אן מַרְעִיתֶֽךָ׃

O God, why do you cast us off forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?

זְכֹ֤ר עֲדָתְךָ֨׀ קָ֘נִ֤יתָ קֶּ֗דֶם גָּ֭אַלְתָּ שֵׁ֣בֶט נַחֲלָתֶ֑ךָ הַר־צִ֝יּ֗וֹן זֶ֤ה׀ שָׁכַ֬נְתָּ בּֽוֹ׃

[2] Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage! Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt.

הָרִ֣ימָה פְ֭עָמֶיךָ לְמַשֻּׁא֣וֹת נֶ֑צַח כָּל־הֵרַ֖ע אוֹיֵ֣ב בַּקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃

[3] Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins; the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary!

שָׁאֲג֣וּ צֹ֭רְרֶיךָ בְּקֶ֣רֶב מוֹעֲדֶ֑ךָ שָׂ֖מוּ אוֹתֹתָ֣ם אֹתֽוֹת׃

[4] Your foes have roared in the midst of your meeting place; they set up their own signs for signs.

יִ֭וָּדַע כְּמֵבִ֣יא לְמָ֑עְלָה בִּֽסֲבָךְ־עֵ֝֗ץ קַרְדֻּמּֽוֹת׃

[5] They were like those who swing axes in a forest of trees.

׳וְעֵת׳ ״וְ֭עַתָּה״ פִּתּוּחֶ֣יהָ יָּ֑חַד בְּכַשִּׁ֥יל וְ֝כֵֽילַפֹּ֗ת יַהֲלֹמֽוּן׃

[6] And all its carved wood they broke down with hatchets and hammers.

שִׁלְח֣וּ בָ֭אֵשׁ מִקְדָּשֶׁ֑ךָ לָ֝אָ֗רֶץ חִלְּל֥וּ מִֽשְׁכַּן־שְׁמֶֽךָ׃

[7] They set your sanctuary on fire; they profaned the dwelling place of your name, bringing it down to the ground.

אָמְר֣וּ בְ֭לִבָּם נִינָ֣ם יָ֑חַד שָׂרְפ֖וּ כָל־מוֹעֲדֵי־אֵ֣ל בָּאָֽרֶץ׃

[8] They said to themselves, “We will utterly subdue them”; they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.

אֽוֹתֹתֵ֗ינוּ לֹ֥א רָ֫אִ֥ינוּ אֵֽין־ע֥וֹד נָבִ֑יא וְלֹֽא־אִ֝תָּ֗נוּ יֹדֵ֥עַ עַד־מָֽה׃

[9] We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long.

עַד־מָתַ֣י אֱ֭לֹהִים יְחָ֣רֶף צָ֑ר יְנָ֘אֵ֤ץ אוֹיֵ֖ב שִׁמְךָ֣ לָנֶֽצַח׃

[10] How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever?

לָ֤מָּה תָשִׁ֣יב יָ֭דְךָ וִֽימִינֶ֑ךָ מִקֶּ֖רֶב ׳חוֹקְךָ׳ ״חֵֽיקְךָ֣״ כַלֵּֽה׃

[11] Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the fold of your garment and destroy them!

וֵ֭אלֹהִים מַלְכִּ֣י מִקֶּ֑דֶם פֹּעֵ֥ל יְ֝שׁוּע֗וֹת בְּקֶ֣רֶב הָאָֽרֶץ׃

[12] Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

אַתָּ֤ה פוֹרַ֣רְתָּ בְעָזְּךָ֣ יָ֑ם שִׁבַּ֖רְתָּ רָאשֵׁ֥י תַ֝נִּינִ֗ים עַל־הַמָּֽיִם׃

[13] You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters.

אַתָּ֣ה רִ֭צַּצְתָּ רָאשֵׁ֣י לִוְיָתָ֑ן תִּתְּנֶ֥נּוּ מַ֝אֲכָ֗ל לְעָ֣ם לְצִיִּֽים׃

[14] You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.

אַתָּ֣ה בָ֭קַעְתָּ מַעְיָ֣ן וָנָ֑חַל אַתָּ֥ה ה֝וֹבַ֗שְׁתָּ נַהֲר֥וֹת אֵיתָֽן׃

[15] You split open springs and brooks; you dried up ever-flowing streams.

לְךָ֣ י֭וֹם אַף־לְךָ֥ לָ֑יְלָה אַתָּ֥ה הֲ֝כִינ֗וֹתָ מָא֥וֹר וָשָֽׁמֶשׁ׃

[16] Yours is the day, yours also the night; you have established the heavenly lights and the sun.

אַתָּ֣ה הִ֭צַּבְתָּ כָּל־גְּבוּל֣וֹת אָ֑רֶץ קַ֥יִץ וָ֝חֹ֗רֶף אַתָּ֥ה יְצַרְתָּם׃

[17] You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter.

זְכָר־זֹ֗את א֭וֹיֵב חֵרֵ֣ף׀ יְהוָ֑ה וְעַ֥ם נָ֝בָ֗ל נִֽאֲצ֥וּ שְׁמֶֽךָ׃

[18] Remember this, O Lord , how the enemy scoffs, and a foolish people reviles your name.

אַל־תִּתֵּ֣ן לְ֭חַיַּת נֶ֣פֶשׁ תּוֹרֶ֑ךָ חַיַּ֥ת עֲ֝נִיֶּ֗יךָ אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח לָנֶֽצַח׃

[19] Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beasts; do not forget the life of your poor forever.

הַבֵּ֥ט לַבְּרִ֑ית כִּ֥י מָלְא֥וּ מַחֲשַׁכֵּי־אֶ֝֗רֶץ נְא֣וֹת חָמָֽס׃

[20] Have regard for the covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.

אַל־יָשֹׁ֣ב דַּ֣ךְ נִכְלָ֑ם עָנִ֥י וְ֝אֶבְי֗וֹן יְֽהַלְל֥וּ שְׁמֶֽךָ׃

[21] Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame; let the poor and needy praise your name.

קוּמָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים רִיבָ֣ה רִיבֶ֑ךָ זְכֹ֥ר חֶרְפָּתְךָ֥ מִנִּי־נָ֝בָ֗ל כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃

[22] Arise, O God, defend your cause; remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day!

אַל־תִּ֭שְׁכַּח ק֣וֹל צֹרְרֶ֑יךָ שְׁא֥וֹן קָ֝מֶ֗יךָ עֹלֶ֥ה תָמִֽיד׃

[23] Do not forget the clamor of your foes, the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually!