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

As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!

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

For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

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, because of our iniquities.

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.

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

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

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

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

64 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens,
that thou wouldest come down,
that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,
as when the melting fire burneth,
the fire causeth the waters to boil,
to make thy name known to thine adversaries,
that the nations may tremble at thy presence!
When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for,
thou camest down,
the mountains flowed down at thy presence.
For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear,
neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee,
what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness,
those that remember thee in thy ways:
behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned:
in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.
But we are all as an unclean thing,
and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;
and we all do fade as a leaf;
and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
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, because of our iniquities.
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.

Be not wroth very sore, O Lord,
neither remember iniquity for ever:
behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.
10 Thy holy cities are a wilderness,
Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
11 Our holy and our beautiful house,
where our fathers praised thee,
is burned up with fire:
and all our pleasant things are laid waste.
12 Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O Lord?
wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?

64 [a]If only You would tear the heavens open
and come down,(A)
so that mountains would quake at Your presence(B)
[b]as fire kindles the brushwood,
and fire causes water to boil—
to make Your name known to Your enemies,
so that nations will tremble at Your presence!
When You did awesome works(C)
that we did not expect,
You came down,(D)
and the mountains quaked at Your presence.
From ancient times no one has heard,
no one has listened,
no eye has seen any God except You,
who acts on behalf of the one who waits for Him.(E)
You welcome the one who joyfully does what is right;
they remember You in Your ways.
But we have sinned, and You were angry.
How can we be saved if we remain in our sins?[c]
All of us have become like something unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like a polluted[d] garment;(F)
all of us wither like a leaf,(G)
and our iniquities(H) carry us away like the wind.
No one calls on Your name,
striving to take hold of You.
For You have hidden Your face from us(I)
and made us melt because of[e][f] our iniquity.

Yet Lord, You are our Father;(J)
we are the clay, and You are our potter;
we all are the work of Your hands.(K)
Lord, do not be terribly angry
or remember our iniquity forever.(L)
Please look—all of us are Your people!
10 Your holy cities have become a wilderness;
Zion has become a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolation.(M)
11 Our holy and beautiful[g] temple,
where our fathers praised You,
has been burned with fire,
and all that was dear to us lies in ruins.(N)
12 Lord, after all this, will You restrain Yourself?
Will You keep silent and afflict severely?(O)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 64:1 Is 63:19b in Hb
  2. Isaiah 64:2 Is 64:1 in Hb
  3. Isaiah 64:5 Lit angry; in them continually and we will be saved; Hb obscure
  4. Isaiah 64:6 Lit menstrual
  5. Isaiah 64:7 LXX, Syr, Vg, Tg read and delivered us into the hand of
  6. Isaiah 64:7 Lit melt by the hand
  7. Isaiah 64:11 Or glorious; Is 60:7

64 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might [a]quake at thy presence, 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! When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains quaked at thy presence. For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye [b]seen a God besides thee, who worketh for him that waiteth for him. Thou [c]meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou wast wroth, and we sinned: [d]in them have we been of long time; and shall we be saved? 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. 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 [e]consumed us by means of our iniquities.

But now, O Jehovah, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. Be not wroth very sore, O Jehovah, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, look, we beseech thee, we are all thy people. 10 Thy holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. 11 Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned with fire; and all our pleasant places are laid waste. 12 Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O Jehovah? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 64:1 Or, flow down
  2. Isaiah 64:4 Or, seen, O God, besides thee, one that etc.
  3. Isaiah 64:5 Or, sparest
  4. Isaiah 64:5 Or, in those is continuance, and we shall be saved. The Hebrew is obscure.
  5. Isaiah 64:7 Hebrew melted.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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