Isaiah 64
1 Oh, that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, — that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,
“Oh, if you had split open the heavens and come down! The mountains would have shaken at your presence,
2 — as fire kindleth brushwood, as the fire causeth water to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations might tremble at thy 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 thou didst terrible things [which] we looked not for, thou camest down, and the mountains flowed down at thy presence.
Previously, when you did marvelous things that we had not expected, you came down, and the mountains trembled at your presence.
4 Never have [men] heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor hath eye seen a God beside thee, who acteth for him that waiteth 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 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth to do righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: (behold, thou wast wroth, and we have sinned: ) in those is perpetuity, and we shall be saved.
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 And we are all become as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have carried us away;
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 and there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee; for thou hast hidden thy face from us, and hast caused us to melt away through our iniquities.
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 And now, Jehovah, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy 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 Be not wroth very sore, O Jehovah, neither remember iniquity for ever. Behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.
Be not too angry, Yahweh, nor always call to mind against us our sins. Please look at us all, your people.
10 Thy holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
11 Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burnt up with fire, and all our precious things are laid waste.
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 Wilt thou restrain thyself in presence of these things, Jehovah? Wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?
How can you still hold back, Yahweh? How can you remain silent and continue to humiliate us?”
