< Isaiah 64 >
1 Oh that you would tear the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence—
That thou wouldst rend the heavens, and wouldst come down: the mountains would melt away at thy presence.
2 as when fire kindles the brushwood, and the fire causes the water to boil. Make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence!
They would melt as at the burning of fire, the waters would burn with fire, that thy name might be made known to thy enemies: that the nations might tremble at thy presence.
3 When you did awesome things which we did not look for, you came down, and the mountains quaked at your presence.
When thou shalt do wonderful things, we shall not bear them: thou didst come down, and at thy presence the mountains melted away.
4 For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him.
From the beginning of the world they have not heard, nor perceived with the ears: the eye hath not seen, O God, besides thee, what things thou hast prepared for them that wait for thee.
5 You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned. We have been in sin for a long time. Shall we be saved?
Thou hast met him that rejoiceth, and doth justice: in thy ways they shall remember thee: behold thou art angry, and we have sinned: in them we have been always, and we shall be saved.
6 For we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
And we are all become as one unclean, and all our justices as the rag of a menstruous woman: and we have all fallen as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
7 There is no one who calls on your name, who stirs himself up to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have consumed us by means of our iniquities.
There is none that calleth upon thy name: that riseth up, and taketh hold of thee: thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast crushed us in the hand of our iniquity.
8 But now, LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay and you our potter. We all are the work of your hand.
And now, O Lord, thou art our father, and we are clay: and thou art our maker, and we all are the works of thy hands.
9 Do not be furious, LORD. Do not remember iniquity forever. Look and see, we beg you, we are all your people.
Be not very angry, O Lord, and remember no longer our iniquity: behold, see we are all thy people.
10 Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
The city of thy sanctuary is become a desert, Sion is made a desert, Jerusalem is desolate.
11 Our holy and our beautiful house where our fathers praised you is burned with fire. All our pleasant places are laid waste.
The house of our holiness, and of our glory, where our fathers praised thee, is burnt with fire, and all our lovely things are turned into ruins.
12 Will you hold yourself back for these things, LORD? Will you keep silent and punish us very severely?
Wilt thou refrain thyself, O Lord, upon these things, wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us vehemently?