Isaiah 64

Modern English Version

64 Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down,
    that the mountains might shake at Your presence,
² as when the melting fire burns,
    as 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 You did awesome things for which we did not look,
    You came down; the mountains quaked at Your presence.
⁴ For since the beginning of the world men have not heard,
    nor perceived by ear,
neither has the eye seen a God besides You,
    who acts for the one who waits for Him.
⁵ You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness,
    those who remember You in Your ways.
Indeed, You were angry, for we had sinned;
    in our sins we remained a long time,
    and shall we be saved?
⁶ But we all are as an unclean thing,
    and all our righteousness is as filthy rags;
and we all fade as a leaf,
    and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
⁷ There is no one 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 because of our iniquities.

⁸ But now, O Lord, You are our Father;
    we are the clay, and You are our potter;
    and we all are the work of Your hand.
⁹ Do not be wrathful beyond measure, O Lord,
    nor remember iniquity forever;
look upon us, we pray,
    we all are Your people.
¹⁰ Your holy cities are a wilderness;
    Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
¹¹ Our holy and beautiful house where our fathers praised You
    is burned up with fire;
    and all our precious things are laid waste.
¹² Will You refrain Yourself from these things, O Lord?
    Will You hold Your peace and afflict us beyond measure?