Isaiah 64
1 Oh that thou would rend the heavens, that thou would come down, that the mountains might quake at thy presence,
Oh that thou mightest rend the heavens, come down: at thy presence would mountains [then] melt away.
2 as when fire kindles the brushwood, and the fire causes the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!
As fire is kindled on brushwood, as water is made to bubble up by fire—to make thy name known to thy adversaries, that at thy presence nations might tremble!
3 When thou did fearful things which we did not look for, thou came down; the mountains quaked at thy presence.
[As] when thou didst fearful deeds which we had not looked for, thou camest down, [while] at thy presence mountains melted away;
4 For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither has the eye seen, O God, besides thee, what he has prepared for him who waits for him.
Yea! what from the beginning of the world men had not heard, not perceived by their hearing; no eye [also] had seen a god beside thee, who could do [the like] for the one that waiteth for him.
5 Thou meet him who rejoices and works righteousness, those who remember thee in thy ways. Behold, thou were angry, and we sinned. Therefore we have erred.
Thou acceptest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou wast wroth, for we had sinned on them continually; and can we thus be saved?
6 For we have all become as unclean, and all our righteous acts are as a polluted garment. And we all fade as a leaf. And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
And we are become like an unclean man all of us, and like a soiled garment, all our righteousness; and we wither like a leaf all of us; and our iniquities, like the wind, will bear us away.
7 And there is none who calls upon thy name, who stirs himself up to take hold of thee. For thou have hid thy face from us, and have consumed us through our iniquities.
And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth himself up to lay hold of thee; for thou hast hidden thy face from us, and hast let us melt away, through the force of our iniquities.
8 But now, O Jehovah, thou are our Father. We are the clay, and thou our potter, and we are all the work of thy hand.
But now, O Lord, our father art thou; we are the clay, and thou our fashioner; and the work of thy hand are we all.
9 Be not angry very severely, O Jehovah, nor remember iniquity forever. Behold, look, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.
Be not wroth, O Lord, so very greatly, and do not for ever remember [our] iniquity: behold, look, we beseech thee, thy people are we all.
10 Thy holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
Thy holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem, a desolate place.
11 Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned with fire, and all our pleasant places are laid waste.
Our holy and beautiful house where our fathers praised thee, is burnt up with fire; and all our costly things are become ruins.
12 Will thou restrain thyself for these things, O Jehovah? Will thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very severely?
Wilt thou for these things refrain thyself, O Lord? wilt thou be silent, and afflict us so very greatly?
