Isaiah 64
1 I wish that you would rend the heavens, and then descend! The mountains would flow away before your face.
Oh that you would rend the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might flow down at your presence,
2 They would melt, as if thoroughly burned by fire. The waters would burn with fire, so that your name might be made known to your enemies, so that the nations would be stirred up before your face.
As when the melting fire burns, the fire causes the waters to boil, to make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence!
3 When you will perform miracles, we will not be able to withstand them. You descended, and the mountains flowed away before your presence.
When you did terrible things which we looked not for, you came down, the mountains flowed down at your presence.
4 From ages past, they have not heard it, and they have not perceived it with the ears. Apart from you, O God, the eye has not seen what you have prepared for those who await you.
For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither has the eye seen, O God, beside you, what he has prepared for him that waits for him.
5 You have met with those who rejoice in doing justice. By your ways, they will remember you. Behold, you have been angry, for we have sinned. In this, we have continued, but we will be saved.
You meet him that rejoices and works righteousness, those that remember you in your ways: behold, you are wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.
6 And we have all become like the unclean. And all our justices are like a rag of menstruation. And we have all fallen away, like a leaf. And our iniquities have carried us away, like the wind.
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
7 There is no one who calls upon your name, who rises up and holds fast to you. You have concealed your face from us, and you have crushed us with the hand of our own iniquity.
And there is none that calls on your name, that stirs up himself to take hold of you: for you have hid your face from us, and have consumed us, because of our iniquities.
8 And now, O Lord, you are our Father, yet truly, we are clay. And you are our Maker, and we are all the works of your hands.
But now, O LORD, you are our father; we are the clay, and you our potter; and we all are the work of your hand.
9 Do not be so angry, O Lord, and no longer call to mind our iniquity. Behold, consider that we are all your people.
Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech you, we are all your people.
10 The city of your sanctuary has become a desert. Zion has become a desert. Jerusalem is desolate.
Your holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
11 The house of our sanctification and of our glory, where our fathers praised you, has been completely consumed by fire, and all our admirable things have been turned into ruins.
Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised you, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste.
12 Should you restrain yourself, O Lord, concerning these things? Should you remain silent, and afflict us vehemently?
Will you refrain yourself for these things, O LORD? will you hold your peace, and afflict us very sore?
