Yours, my Lord, is the righteousness...

 

Kinnot for Tisha B'Av (Ashkenaz), Kinot for Tisha B'Av Day 19

 

לְךָ יהוה הַצְּדָקָה בְּאוֹתוֹת אֲשֶׁר הִפְלֵאתָ מֵאָז וְעַד עָתָּה,

Yours, my Lord, is the righteousness, because of the wondrous signs You have displayed from then until now;

 

וְלָנוּ בּשֶׁת הַפָּנִים בִּבְחִינָה אֲשֶׁר נִצְרַפְנוּ וְאוֹתָנוּ תִּעָבְתָּ:

and ours is the shamefacedness, because of the trial with which You sought to refine us, (but as a result of our failure) You despised us.

 

לְךָ יהוה הַצּדָקָה בְּגוֹי מִקֶּרֶב גּוֹי לָקַחְתָּ בְּמַסּוֹת,

Yours, my Lord, is the righteousness because You have taken (our) nation from amidst another nation, with miracles;

 

וְלָנוּ בּשֶׁת הַפָּנִים בְּדֺפִי אֲשֶׁר נִמְצָא בָנוּ כְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם עֲשׂוֹת:

and ours is the shamefacedness, because of the hypocrisy to be found within us as we emulated (Egypt's abominable) deeds.

 

לְךָ יהוה הַצּדָקָה בְּהָלְכוּ אֱלֹהִים לִפְדּוֹת לוֹ לְעָם,

Yours, my Lord, is the righteousness because God went out to redeem us as a people unto Himself;

 

וְלָנוּ בּשֶׁת הַפָּנִים בְּוַיַּמְרוּ עַל יָם בְּיַם סוּף גּוֹי בֵּאלֹהָיו בְּפָשְׁעָם:

and ours is the shamefacedness, because they (our forefathers) rebelled on the shore of the Sea of reeds, the nation sinning against its God!

 

לְךָ יהוה הַצַּדָקָה בְּזֵכֶר וְאַתֶּם עֵדַי וַאֲנִי אֱלֹהִים,

Yours, my Lord, is the righteousness when we recall the proclamation, 'You are witnesses, and I am God!'

 

וְלָנוּ בּשֶׁת הַפָּנִים בְּחָרְפֵנוּ בְּסִין קוּם עֲשֵׂה לָנוּ אֱלֹהִים:

and, ours is the shamefacedness, because we blasphemed Hashem in (the Wilderness of) Sin (when we demanded of Aaron), 'Arise and create a god for us!'

 

לְךָ יהוה הַצְּדָקָה בְּטַעַם שֶׁהִטְעַמְתָּנוּ כְּצַפִּיחִת בִּדְבָשׁ,

Yours, my Lord, is the righteousness because You fed us (the manna) that tasted like dough fried in honey;

 

וְלָנוּ בּשֶׁת הַפָּנִים בְּיוֹם הִקְרַבְנוּ לְפָנָיו סֺלֶת וָשֶׁמֶן וּדְבָשׁ:

and ours, is the shamefacedness, because on the day (we made the Golden Calf), we brought it an offering of fine flour with oil and honey.

 

לְךָ יהוה הַצְּדָקָה בְּכִלְכּוּל מָן וּבְאֵר וְעַמּוּד עָנָן,

Yours, my Lord, is the righteousness because you provided us with the manna, the well and the pillar of clouds;

 

וְלָנוּ בּשֶׁת הַפָּנִים בְּלֶחֶם הַקְּלֹקֵל אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְּאָהֳלֵיהֶם בְּרָגְנָן:

and ours is the shamefacedness because our forefathers grumbled in their tents about (the manna and called it) the destructive bread.

 

לְךָ יהוה הַצְּדָקָה בַּמִּדְבָּר לֹא חָסַרְנוּ דָּבָר,

Yours, my Lord, is the righteousness because in the wilderness we lacked for nothing;

 

וְלָנוּ בּשֶׁת הַפָּנִים בְּנִאֲצוֹת לָבָן וְחֲצֵרֺת וְדִי זָהָב כִּמְדֻבָּר:

and ours is the shamefacedness because we defied You as Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab as related (by Moses),

 

לְךָ יהוה הַצְּדָקָה בְּסִיחוֹן וְעוֹג וְכֺל מַלְכֵי כְנָעַן,

Yours, my Lord, is the righteousness because of (how You waged war for us with) Sihon and Og and all the kings of Canaan;

 

וְלָנוּ בּשֶׁת הַפָּנִים בְּעָכָן אֲשֶׁר מָעַל בַּחֵרֶם בְּלִי מְצֺא מַעַן:

and ours is the shamefacedness because of Achan who appropriated for himself from the forbidden spoils (of Jericho) and found no excuse (for his crime).

 

לְךָ יהוה הַצְּדָקָה בְּפֺעַל אֲשֶׁר פָּעַלְתָּ בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר מוֹשִׁיעִים,

Yours, my Lord, is the righteousness because of all that You accomplished through the fourteen saviors(-Judges);

 

וְלָנוּ בּשֶׁת הַפָּנִים בְּצֶלֶם מִיכָה כִּי בוֹ אֲנַחְנוּ פוֹשְׁעִים:

and ours is the shamefacedness because of Micah's idol through which we transgressed.

 

לְךָ יהוה הַצְּדָקָה בְּקִימַת שִׁילֹה וְנוֹב וְגִבְעוֹן וּבֵית עוֹלָמִים,

Yours, my Lord, is the righteousness because You erected (Tabernacles) at Shiloh, Nob, Gibeon and the Eternal Temple (in Jerusalem);

 

וְלָנוּ בּשֶׁת הַפָּנִים בְּרֶשַׁע שֶׁנִּמְצָא בָנוּ שֶׁחָרְבוּ וּבָם אָנוּ נִכְלָמִים:

and ours is the shamefacedness because the evil in our midst caused each one's destruction, and in their loss, we have been humiliated.

 

לְךָ יהוה הַצְּדָקָה בִּשְׁנֵי חָרְבָּנוֹת שֶׁחָרְבוּ בְּבִצְעֵנוּ וְאָנוּ קַיָּמִים,

Yours, my Lord, is the righteousness because although the Destructions of the two Temples were caused by our corruption, we ourselves were spared;

 

וְלָנוּ בּשֶׁת הַפָּנִים בְּשׁוּבֵנוּ אֵלֶיךָ בְּכָָל לֵב שֶׁתָּשׁוּב אֵלֵינוּ בְּרַחֲמִים:

and ours is the shamefacedness because we should have repented to You wholeheartedly so that You would return to us in compassion.

 

לְךָ יהוה הַצְּדָקָה בִּתְשַׁע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה שֶׁהָיְתָה שִׂנְאָה כְּבוּשָׁה מִלְּהִשָּׁמַע,

Yours, my Lord, is the righteousness because of the (almost) nine centuries throughout which You withheld Your anger (over our sins) and didn't broadcast it;

 

וְלָנוּ בּשֶׁת הַפָּנִים כְּתָבַע אִישׁ חַמוּדוֹת וְשִׁוַּע הַטֵּה אֱלֹהַי אָזְנְךָ וּשֲׁמָע:

and ours is the shamefacedness because (Daniel) the man of delights pleaded with You (to end the Babylonian Exile after a mere seventy years, even though we were not worthy,) saying, 'Incline Your ear, O my God, and hear!'