Isaiah 64
1 Oh, that Thou wouldest rend the heavens, that Thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might quake at Thy presence,
If only you would rip the heavens apart and come down! The mountains would tremble in your presence!
2 As when fire kindleth the brush-wood, and the fire causeth the waters to boil; to make Thy name known to Thine adversaries, that the nations might tremble at Thy presence,
In the same way that fire burns wood and makes the water boil, make your reputation known to your enemies, so that nations will tremble in your presence!
3 When Thou didst tremendous things which we looked not for — Oh that Thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might quake at Thy presence! —
In the past you did things we weren't anticipating. You came down and the mountains trembled in your presence!
4 And whereof from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen a God beside Thee, who worketh for him that waiteth for Him.
Since the beginning, no one has heard about, no one has paid attention to, and no one has seen any God except you, the one who helps those who place their confidence in you.
5 Thou didst take away him that joyfully worked righteousness, those that remembered Thee in Thy ways — behold, Thou wast wroth, and we sinned — upon them have we stayed of old, that we might be saved.
You join with those who are glad, and with those who do what's right and remember to follow your ways. But when we went on sinning, you became angry. How can we be saved if we go on like this?
6 And we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment; and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
We've all become unclean, and all the good things we do are like dirty rags. We wither and die like autumn leaves, and our sins, like the wind, blow us away.
7 And there is none that calleth upon Thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of Thee; for Thou hast hid Thy face from us, and hast consumed us by means of our iniquities.
There's no one who calls for you or really wants to hold onto you, because you have hidden your face from us and let us drown in our own sins.
8 But now, O LORD, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our potter, and we all are the work of Thy hand.
But you, Lord, are our Father. We're the clay, you're the potter. You made us all with your own hands.
9 Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever; behold, look, we beseech Thee, we are all Thy people.
Please limit your anger, Lord, and don't remember our sins forever. Look at us, and see that we are all your people.
10 Thy holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
Your holy cities have been turned into a wilderness; Zion has become a desert; yes, even Jerusalem is an abandoned ruin.
11 Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised Thee, is burned with fire; and all our pleasant things are laid waste.
Our beautiful, holy Temple where our forefathers praised you has been burned down, and all that we treasured has been destroyed.
12 Wilt Thou refrain Thyself for these things, O LORD? Wilt Thou hold Thy peace, and afflict us very sore?
In view of all this, are you still going to refuse to help us? Are you going to stay quiet and punish us so severely?
