Isaiah 64

1 If only You would rend the heavens and come down, so that mountains would quake at Your presence,

“Oh, if you had split open the heavens and come down! The mountains would have shaken at your presence,

2 as fire kindles the brushwood and causes the water to boil, to make Your name known to Your enemies, so that the nations will tremble at Your presence!

as when fire kindles the brushwood, or the fire makes water boil. Oh, that your name would be known by your adversaries, that the nations would tremble at your presence!

3 When You did awesome works that we did not expect, You came down, and the mountains trembled at Your presence.

Previously, when you did marvelous things that we had not expected, you came down, and the mountains trembled at your presence.

4 From ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.

Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived, nor eye seen any God besides you, who does things for him who waits for him.

5 You welcome those who gladly do right, who remember Your ways. Surely You were angry, for we sinned. How can we be saved if we remain in our sins?

You come to help those who rejoice in doing what is right, those who call to mind your ways and obey them. You were angry when we sinned. In your ways we will always be rescued.

6 Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

For we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a menstrual rag. We have all withered like leaves; our iniquities, like the wind, carry us away.

7 No one calls on Your name or strives to take hold of You. For You have hidden Your face from us and delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.

There are none who calls on your name, who makes an effort to take hold of you. For you have hidden your face from us and made us waste away in the hand of our iniquities.

8 But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.

Yet, Yahweh, you are our father; we are the clay. You are our potter; and we all are the work of your hand.

9 Do not be angry, O LORD, beyond measure; do not remember our iniquity forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray; we are all Your people!

Be not too angry, Yahweh, nor always call to mind against us our sins. Please look at us all, your people.

10 Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wasteland and Jerusalem a desolation.

Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

11 Our holy and beautiful temple, where our fathers praised You, has been burned with fire, and all that was dear to us lies in ruins.

Our holy and beautiful temple, where our fathers praised you, has been destroyed by fire, and all that was so dear is in ruins.

12 After all this, O LORD, will You restrain Yourself? Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?

How can you still hold back, Yahweh? How can you remain silent and continue to humiliate us?”