שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת מִמַּעֲמַקִּים קְרָאתִיךָ ה'

A song of ascents. Out of the depths I call to You, Lord. The word mima’amakim, “out of the depths,” has a twofold meaning: I feel like someone thrust into a deep pit, and I am calling from the innermost depths of my heart.

אֲדֹנָי שִׁמְעָה בְקוֹלִי תִּהְיֶינָה אָזְנֶיךָ קַשֻּׁבוֹת לְקוֹל תַּחֲנוּנָי

And this is what I call out to Him: Lord, hear my voice; let Your ears be attentive to the sound of my pleas.

אִם עֲוֹנוֹת תִּשְׁמָר יָהּ אֲדֹנָי מִי יַעֲמֹד

If You hold fast, Lord, to iniquities, if You remember and keep a record of all our sins, my Lord, who can stand? We cannot survive. Our sins are many, and without Your forgiveness, we will not be able to bear their accumulated weight.

כִּי עִמְּךָ הַסְּלִיחָה לְמַעַן תִּוָּרֵא

Yet forgiveness is with You, that You might be feared. God’s forgiveness instills in man a desire to remain in His good graces and to avoid future sin. By contrast, in a world without forgiveness, there would also be no fear of God. If man knew there was no remedy for him, he would, in his hopelessness, simply do as he pleased.

קִוִּיתִי ה' קִוְּתָה נַפְשִׁי וְלִדְבָרוֹ הוֹחָלְתִּי

I hope, Lord, my soul hopes; I long for His word.

נַפְשִׁי לַאדֹנָי מִשֹּׁמְרִים לַבֹּקֶר שֹׁמְרִים לַבֹּקֶר

My soul awaits the Lord, I anticipate and await God, more than watchers for the morning, watchers for the morning, even more than those who awaken at dawn in anticipation of redemption and relief.

יַחֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל ה' כִּי עִם ה' הַחֶסֶד וְהַרְבֵּה עִמּוֹ פְדוּת

Await the Lord, Israel, for kindness is with the Lord, and abundant redemption is with Him. God has the power to redeem and save whomever and whatever He wants.

והוּא יִפְדֶּה אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִכֹּל עֲוֹנֹתָיו

And consequently, He will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.