Ezra’s Prayer for Israel’s Forgiveness

¹⁵“And now I will speak out: About all humankind you know best; but I will speak out about your people, for whom I am grieved, ¹⁶and about your inheritance, from whom I lament, and about Israel, for whom I am sad, and about the seed of Jacob, for whom I am troubled. ¹⁷Therefore I will pray before you for myself and for them, for I see the failings of us who inhabit the earth; ¹⁸and now also I have heard of the swiftness of the judgment that is to come.¹⁹Therefore hear my voice and understand my words, and I will speak before you.”

The beginning of the words of Ezra’s prayer, before he was taken up. He said: ²⁰“O Lord, you who inhabit eternity, whose eyes are exalted and whose upper chambers are in the air, ²¹whose throne is beyond measure and whose glory is beyond comprehension, before whom the hosts of angels stand trembling ²²and at whose command they are changed to wind and fire, whose word is sure and whose utterances are certain, whose command is strong and whose ordinance is terrible, ²³whose look dries up the depths and whose indignation makes the mountains melt away, and whose truth is established forever— ²⁴hear, O Lord, the prayer of your servant, and give ear to the petition of your creature; attend to my words. ²⁵For as long as I live I will speak, and as long as I have understanding I will answer. ²⁶O do not look on the sins of your people, but on those who serve you in truth. ²⁷Do not take note of the endeavors of those who act wickedly, but of the endeavors of those who have kept your covenants amid afflictions. ²⁸Do not think of those who have lived wickedly in your sight, but remember those who have willingly acknowledged that you are to be feared. ²⁹Do not will the destruction of those who have the ways of cattle, but regard those who have gloriously taught your law. ³⁰Do not be angry with those who are deemed worse than wild animals, but love those who have always put their trust in your glory. ³¹For we and our ancestors have passed our lives in ways that bring death; but it is because of us sinners that you are called merciful. ³²For if you have desired to have pity on us, who have no works of righteousness, then you will be called merciful. ³³For the righteous, who have many works laid up with you, shall receive their reward in consequence of their own deeds. ³⁴But what are mortals, that you are angry with them; or what is a corruptible race, that you are so bitter against it? ³⁵For in truth there is no one among those who have been born who has not acted wickedly; among those who have existed there is no one who has not done wrong. ³⁶For in this, O Lord, your righteousness and goodness will be declared, when you are merciful to those who have no store of good works.”

Translation from the New Revised Standard Version.