Isaiah 64
1 I wolde that thou brakist heuenes, and camest doun, that hillis fletiden awei fro thi face,
“Oh, if you had split open the heavens and come down! The mountains would have shaken at your presence,
2 and failiden as brennyng of fier, and brente in fier; that thi name were made knowun to thin enemyes, and folkis weren disturblid of thi face.
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 Whanne thou schalt do merueils, we schulen not abide. Thou camest doun, and hillis fletiden awei fro thi face.
Previously, when you did marvelous things that we had not expected, you came down, and the mountains trembled at your presence.
4 Fro the world thei herden not, nethir perseyueden with eeris; God, non iye siy, withouten thee, what thingis thou hast maad redi to hem that abiden thee.
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 Thou mettist hym that is glad, and doith riytfulnesse; in thi weies thei schulen bithenke on thee. Lo! thou art wrooth, and we synneden; in tho synnes we weren euere, and we schulen be saued.
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 And alle we ben maad as an vncleene man; alle oure riytfulnessis ben as the cloth of a womman in vncleene blood; and alle we fellen doun as a leef, and our wickidnessis as wynd han take awei vs.
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 Noon is, that clepith thi name to help, that risith, and holdith thee; thou hast hid thi face fro vs, and thou hast hurtlid doun vs in the hond of oure wickidnesse.
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 And now, Lord, thou art oure fadir; forsothe we ben cley, and thou art oure maker, and alle we ben the werkis of thin hondis.
Yet, Yahweh, you are our father; we are the clay. You are our potter; and we all are the work of your hand.
9 Lord, be thou not wrooth ynow, and haue thou no more mynde on oure wickidnesse. Lo! Lord, biholde thou, alle we ben thi puple.
Be not too angry, Yahweh, nor always call to mind against us our sins. Please look at us all, your people.
10 The citee of thi seyntuarie is forsakun, Sion is maad deseert, Jerusalem is desolat;
Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
11 the hous of oure halewyng and of oure glorie, where oure fadris herieden thee, is maad in to brennyng of fier; and alle oure desirable thingis ben turned in to fallyngis.
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 Lord, whether on these thingis thou schalt witholde thee? schalt thou be stille, and schalt thou turmente vs greetli?
How can you still hold back, Yahweh? How can you remain silent and continue to humiliate us?”
