Isaiah 64

1 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence;

If only You would rend the heavens and come down, so that mountains would quake at Your presence,

2 as when fire kindleth the brushwood, [and] the fire causeth the waters to boil: to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence.

as fire kindles the brushwood and causes the water to boil, to make Your name known to Your enemies, so that the nations will tremble at Your presence!

3 When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.

When You did awesome works that we did not expect, You came down, and the mountains trembled at Your presence.

4 For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen a God beside thee, which worketh for him that waiteth for him.

From ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.

5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou wast wroth, and we sinned: in them [have we been] of long time, and shall we be saved?

You welcome those who gladly do right, who remember Your ways. Surely You were angry, for we sinned. How can we be saved if we remain in our sins?

6 For we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us by means of our iniquities.

No one calls on Your name or strives to take hold of You. For You have hidden Your face from us and delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.

8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.

9 Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, look, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.

Do not be angry, O LORD, beyond measure; do not remember our iniquity forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray; we are all Your people!

10 Thy holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

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

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

Our holy and beautiful temple, where our fathers praised You, has been burned with fire, and all that was dear to us lies in ruins.

12 Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O LORD? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?

After all this, O LORD, will You restrain Yourself? Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?