Isaiah 64

1 Oh that you would tear the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence,

“Oh, if you had split open the heavens and come down! The mountains would have shaken at your presence,

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.

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 you did awesome things which we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.

Previously, when you did marvelous things that we had not expected, you came down, and the mountains trembled at 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.

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 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 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 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.

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 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 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 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.

Yet, Yahweh, you are our father; we are the clay. You are our potter; and we all are the work of your hand.

9 Do not be furious, LORD, neither remember iniquity forever: see, look, we beg you, we are all your people.

Be not too angry, Yahweh, nor always call to mind against us our sins. Please look at us all, your people.

10 Your holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become like 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 you, is burned with fire; and all our pleasant places 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 Will you refrain yourself for these things, LORD? Will you hold your peace, and afflict us very severely?

How can you still hold back, Yahweh? How can you remain silent and continue to humiliate us?”