Isaiah 64

1 That thou wouldst rend the heavens, and wouldst come down: the mountains would melt away at thy presence.

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

2 They would melt as at the burning of fire, the waters would burn with fire, that thy name might be made known to thy enemies: that the nations might tremble at thy presence.

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.

3 When thou shalt do wonderful things, we shall not bear them: thou didst come down, and at thy presence the mountains melted away.

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

4 From the beginning of the world they have not heard, nor perceived with the ears: the eye hath not seen, O God, besides thee, what things thou hast prepared for them that wait for thee.

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.

5 Thou hast met him that rejoiceth, and doth justice: in thy ways they shall remember thee: behold thou art angry, and we have sinned: in them we have been always, and we shall be saved.

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?

6 And we are all become as one unclean, and all our justices as the rag of a menstruous woman: and we have all fallen as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

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.

7 There is none that calleth upon thy name: that riseth up, and taketh hold of thee: thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast crushed us in the hand of our iniquity.

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.

8 And now, O Lord, thou art our father, and we are clay: and thou art our maker, and we all are the works of thy hands.

But now, YHWH, you are our Father, and we are clay, and you are our potter; and we all are the work of your hands.

9 Be not very angry, O Lord, and remember no longer our iniquity: behold, see we are all thy people.

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

10 The city of thy sanctuary is become a desert, Sion is made a desert, Jerusalem is desolate.

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

11 The house of our holiness, and of our glory, where our fathers praised thee, is burnt with fire, and all our lovely things are turned into ruins.

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

12 Wilt thou refrain thyself, O Lord, upon these things, wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us vehemently?

Will you refrain yourself for these things, YHWH? Will you hold your peace, and afflict us very severely?