Isaiah 64

1 Didst Thou not rend the heavens? Thou didst come down, From thy presence did mountains flow,

O that thou wouldst rend the heavens, and come down; That the mountains might tremble at thy presence,

2 (As fire kindleth stubble — Fire causeth water to boil, ) To make known Thy name to Thine adversaries, From Thy presence do nations tremble.

As fire kindleth the dry stubble, As fire causeth water to boil, To make known thy name to thine adversaries, That the nations might tremble at thy presence;

3 In Thy doing fearful things — we expect not, Thou didst come down, From Thy presence did mountains flow.

As thou once didst wonderful things, which we looked not for, And camest down, so that the mountains trembled at thy presence.

4 Even from antiquity [men] have not heard, They have not given ear, Eye hath not seen a God save Thee, He doth work for those waiting for Him.

For never have men heard, nor perceived by the ear, Nor hath eye seen, a God beside thee. Who doeth such things for those that trust in him.

5 Thou hast met with the rejoicer And the doer of righteousness, In Thy ways they remember Thee, Lo, Thou hast been wroth when we sin, By them [is] continuance, and we are saved.

Thou art the friend of those who joyfully do righteousness, Those who remember thee in thy ways. Behold, thou art angry, and we are punished; Long doth the punishment endure, before we are delivered.

6 And we are as unclean — all of us, And as a garment passing away, all our righteous acts; And we fade as a leaf — all of us. And our iniquities as wind do take us away.

We are all of us an unclean thing; Like a filthy garment is all our righteousness; We are all withered like a leaf, And our sins, like a storm, have blown us away.

7 And there is none calling in Thy name, Stirring up himself to lay hold on Thee, For Thou hast hid Thy face from us, And thou meltest us away by our iniquities.

There is none that calleth upon thy name, That stirreth himself up to cleave to thee; For thou hidest thy face from us, And lettest us perish by our iniquities.

8 And now, O Jehovah, thou [art] our Father, We [are] the clay, and Thou our Framer, And the work of Thy hand — all of us.

But now, O Jehovah, thou art our father; We are the clay, and thou hast formed us; We are all of us the work of thy hands.

9 Be not wroth, O Jehovah, very sore, Nor for ever remember iniquity, Lo, look attentively, we beseech Thee, Thy people [are] we all.

Be not wroth, O Jehovah, to the uttermost, Nor remember our iniquity forever! Behold, look upon us, we beseech thee, we are all thy people!

10 Thy holy cities have been a wilderness, Zion a wilderness hath been, Jerusalem a desolation.

Thy holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

11 Our holy and our beautiful house, Where praise Thee did our fathers, Hath become burnt with fire, And all our desirable things have become a waste.

Our holy and glorious house, Where our fathers praised thee, Is burned with fire, And all our precious things are laid waste.

12 For these dost Thou refrain Thyself, Jehovah? Thou art silent, and dost afflict us very sore!'

Wilt thou contain thyself at these things, O Jehovah, Wilt thou keep silence, and still grievously afflict us?