Isaiah 64
1 Oh that thou mightest rend the heavens, come down: at thy presence would mountains [then] melt away.
Oh that you would tear the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence—
2 As fire is kindled on brushwood, as water is made to bubble up by fire—to make thy name known to thy adversaries, that at thy presence nations might tremble!
as when fire kindles the brushwood, and the fire causes the water to boil. Make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence!
3 [As] when thou didst fearful deeds which we had not looked for, thou camest down, [while] at thy presence mountains melted away;
When you did awesome things which we did not look for, you came down, and the mountains quaked at your presence.
4 Yea! what from the beginning of the world men had not heard, not perceived by their hearing; no eye [also] had seen a god beside thee, who could do [the like] for the one that waiteth for him.
For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him.
5 Thou acceptest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou wast wroth, for we had sinned on them continually; and can we thus be saved?
You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned. We have been in sin for a long time. Shall we be saved?
6 And we are become like an unclean man all of us, and like a soiled garment, all our righteousness; and we wither like a leaf all of us; and our iniquities, like the wind, will bear us away.
For we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth himself up to lay hold of thee; for thou hast hidden thy face from us, and hast let us melt away, through the force of our iniquities.
There is no one who calls on your name, who stirs himself up to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have consumed us by means of our iniquities.
8 But now, O Lord, our father art thou; we are the clay, and thou our fashioner; and the work of thy hand are we all.
But now, LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay and you our potter. We all are the work of your hand.
9 Be not wroth, O Lord, so very greatly, and do not for ever remember [our] iniquity: behold, look, we beseech thee, thy people are we all.
Do not be furious, LORD. Do not remember iniquity forever. Look and see, we beg you, we are all your people.
10 Thy holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem, a desolate place.
Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
11 Our holy and beautiful house where our fathers praised thee, is burnt up with fire; and all our costly things are become ruins.
Our holy and our beautiful house where our fathers praised you is burned with fire. All our pleasant places are laid waste.
12 Wilt thou for these things refrain thyself, O Lord? wilt thou be silent, and afflict us so very greatly?
Will you hold yourself back for these things, LORD? Will you keep silent and punish us very severely?
