Isaiah 64

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

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

2 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!

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

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

4 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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

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 too angry, Yahweh, nor always call to mind against us our sins. Please look at us all, your people.

Do not be furious, LORD. Do not remember iniquity forever. Look and see, we beg you, we are all your people.

10 Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

11 Our holy and beautiful temple, where our fathers praised you, has been destroyed by fire, and all that was so dear is in ruins.

Our holy and our beautiful house where our fathers praised you is burned with fire. All our pleasant places are laid waste.

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

Will you hold yourself back for these things, LORD? Will you keep silent and punish us very severely?