Isaiah 64
1 Oh that you would tear the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence,
I wish that you would rend the heavens, and then descend! The mountains would flow away before your face.
2 as when fire kindles the brushwood, and the fire causes the waters to boil; to make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence.
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.
3 When you did awesome things which we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
When you will perform miracles, we will not be able to withstand them. You descended, and the mountains flowed away before your presence.
4 Since ancient times no one has heard, and no ear has perceived, and no eye has seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him.
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.
5 You meet him who rejoices and works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Look, you were angry, and we sinned. We have been in sin for a long time; and shall we be saved?
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.
6 For we have all become as one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is as a polluted garment: and we all fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
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.
7 There is none who calls on your name, who stirs up himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have consumed us by means of our iniquities.
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.
8 But now, LORD, you are our Father, and we are clay, and you are our potter; and we all are the work of your hands.
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.
9 Do not be furious, LORD, neither remember iniquity forever: see, look, we beg you, we are all your people.
Do not be so angry, O Lord, and no longer call to mind our iniquity. Behold, consider that we are all your people.
10 Your holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become like a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
The city of your sanctuary has become a desert. Zion has become a desert. Jerusalem is desolate.
11 Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised you, is burned with fire; and all our pleasant places are laid waste.
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.
12 Will you refrain yourself for these things, LORD? Will you hold your peace, and afflict us very severely?
Should you restrain yourself, O Lord, concerning these things? Should you remain silent, and afflict us vehemently?
