Text of Yom Kippur Viddui

This prayer of confession is repeated multiple times throughout the Day of Atonement

prayer book siddur
Advertisement

The following is the text of the opening section (known as the Ashamnu) of the traditional Ashkenazic Viddui prayer for Yom Kippur. The full text can be found here.

אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ

Eloheinu veh-elohay avoitaynoo

Our God and God of our fathers,

Support My Jewish Learning

Help us keep Jewish knowledge accessible to millions of people around the world.

Your donation to My Jewish Learning fuels endless journeys of Jewish discovery. With your help, My Jewish Learning can continue to provide nonstop opportunities for learning, connection and growth.

תָּבֹא לְפָנֶֽיךָ תְּפִלָּתֵֽנוּ,

ta-voh li-fahnechah

let our prayer come before you

וְאַל תִּתְעַלַּם מִתְּחִנָּתֵֽנוּ

vee-ahl tit’alahm mit-cheenahtaynoo

and do not ignore our supplication.

שֶׁאֵין אֲנַֽחְנוּ עַזֵּי פָנִים

she-ayn anachnoo ah-zay pah-neem

For we are not so brazen-faced

וּקְשֵׁי עֹֽרֶף

u-k’shay oh-reph

and stiff-necked

לוֹמַר לְפָנֶֽיךָ

loh-mahr lifanecha

to say to you,

יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ

adonai elohaynoo veh-ehlohay avotaynoo

Adonoy, our God, and God of our fathers,

צַדִּיקִים אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְלֹא חָטָֽאנוּ

tzadee-keem anahch-noo v’loh chatahnoo

“We are righteous and have not sinned.”

אֲבָל אֲנַֽחְנוּ וַאֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ חָטָֽאנוּ:

ah-vahl anahchnoo va-avotaynoo cha-tah-noo

But, indeed, we and our fathers have sinned.

אָשַֽׁמְנוּ.

ah-sham-noo

We have trespassed [against God and man, and we are devastated by our guilt];

בָּגַֽדְנוּ.

bah-gahd-noo

We have betrayed [God and man, we have been ungrateful for the good done to us];

גָּזַֽלְנוּ. דִּבַּֽרְנוּ דֹּֽפִי.

gah-zahl-noo

We have stolen; We have slandered.

הֶעֱוִֽינוּ.

heh-eh-vee-noo

We have caused others to sin;

וְהִרְשַֽׁעְנוּ.

vih-heer-shah-noo

We have caused others to commit sins for which they are called רְשָׁעִים, wicked;

זַֽדְנוּ.

zahd-noo

We have sinned with malicious intent;

חָמַֽסְנוּ.

chah-mahss-noo

We have forcibly taken others’ possessions even though we paid for them;

טָפַֽלְנוּ שֶֽׁקֶר.

tah-fahl-noo sheh-kehr

We have added falsehood upon falsehood; We have joined with evil individuals or groups;

יָעַֽצְנוּ רָע.

ya’atznoo rah

We have given harmful advice;

כִּזַּֽבְנוּ. לַֽצְנוּ.

kee-zahv-noo lahtz-noo

We have deceived; we have mocked;

מָרַֽדְנוּ.

mah-rahd-noo

We have rebelled against God and His Torah;

נִאַֽצְנוּ.

nee-ahtz-noo

We have caused God to be angry with us;

סָרַֽרְנוּ.

sah-rahr-noo

We have turned away from God’s Torah;

עָוִֽינוּ.

ah-vee-noo

We have sinned deliberately;

פָּשַֽׁעְנוּ.

pah-shah-noo

We have been negligent in our performance of the commandments;

צָרַֽרְנוּ.

tzah-rahr-noo

We have caused our friends grief;

קִשִּֽׁינוּ עֹֽרֶף.

kee-shee-noo oh-rehff

We have been stiff-necked, refusing to admit that our suffering is caused by our own sins.

רָשַֽׁעְנוּ.

rah-shah-noo

We have committed sins for which we are called רָשָׁע, [raising a hand to hit someone].

שִׁחַֽתְנוּ.

shee-chaht-noo

We have committed sins which are the result of moral corruption;

תִּעַֽבְנוּ.

tee-ahv-noo

We have committed sins which the Torah refers to as abominations;

תָּעִֽינוּ.

tah-ee-noo

We have gone astray;

תִּעְתָּֽעְנוּ:

teeht-ah-noo

We have led others astray.

Hebrew and English text taken from The Metsudah Machzor, via Sefaria.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Discover More

When Prayer Fails Us

Tisha B'Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, is testament to the failure of prayer to avert national catastrophe.

How to Acquire the Right Mental State for Prayer

The pursuit of proper kavanah, the Hebrew term for directed attention, has long concerned Jewish thinkers.

Kol Nidrei: The Power of Words

Why does the holiest day of the Jewish year begin with a dry legal formula renouncing vows?

Advertisement