< Isaiah 64 >
1 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,
If thou wouldest open the heaven, trembling will take hold upon the mountains from thee, and they shall melt,
2 As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!
as wax melts before the fire; and fire shall burn up the enemies, and thy name shall be manifest among the adversaries: at thy presence the nations shall be troubled,
3 When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.
whenever thou shalt work gloriously; trembling from thee shall take hold upon the mountains.
4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
From of old we have not heard, neither have our eyes seen a God beside thee, and thy works which thou wilt perform to them that wait for mercy.
5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.
For [these blessings] shall happen to them that work righteousness, and they shall remember thy ways: behold, thou wast angry and we have sinned; therefore we have erred,
6 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.
and we are all become as unclean, and all our righteousness as a filthy rag: and we have fallen as leaves because of our iniquities; thus the wind shall 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 hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
And there is none that calls upon thy name, or that remembers to take hold on thee: for thou hast turned thy face away from us, and hast delivered us up because of our sins.
8 But now, O Yhwh, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
And now, O Lord, thou art our Father, and we are clay, all [of us] the work of thine hands.
9 Be not wroth very sore, O Yhwh, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.
Be not very wroth with us, and remember not our sins for ever; but now look on [us], for we are all thy people.
10 Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
The city of thy holiness has become desolate, Sion has become as a wilderness, Jerusalem a curse.
11 Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste.
The house, our sanctuary, and the glory which our fathers blessed, has been burnt with fire: and all our glorious things have gone to ruin.
12 Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O Yhwh? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?
And for all these things thou, O Lord, has withholden, thyself, and been silent, and hast brought us very low.