64 [a]Oh, that you would rend the heavens(A) and come down,(B)
    that the mountains(C) would tremble before you!
As when fire sets twigs ablaze
    and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name(D) known to your enemies
    and cause the nations to quake(E) before you!
For when you did awesome(F) things that we did not expect,
    you came down, and the mountains trembled(G) before you.
Since ancient times no one has heard,
    no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,(H)
    who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.(I)
You come to the help of those who gladly do right,(J)
    who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
    you were angry.(K)
    How then can we be saved?
All of us have become like one who is unclean,(L)
    and all our righteous(M) acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,(N)
    and like the wind our sins sweep us away.(O)
No one(P) calls on your name(Q)
    or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden(R) your face from us
    and have given us over(S) to[b] our sins.

Yet you, Lord, are our Father.(T)
    We are the clay, you are the potter;(U)
    we are all the work of your hand.(V)
Do not be angry(W) beyond measure, Lord;
    do not remember our sins(X) forever.
Oh, look on us, we pray,
    for we are all your people.(Y)
10 Your sacred cities(Z) have become a wasteland;
    even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation.(AA)
11 Our holy and glorious temple,(AB) where our ancestors praised you,
    has been burned with fire,
    and all that we treasured(AC) lies in ruins.
12 After all this, Lord, will you hold yourself back?(AD)
    Will you keep silent(AE) and punish us beyond measure?

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 64:1 In Hebrew texts 64:1 is numbered 63:19b, and 64:2-12 is numbered 64:1-11.
  2. Isaiah 64:7 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew have made us melt because of

A Prayer for Help

64 Oh, that You would [a]rend the heavens!
That You would come down!
That the mountains might shake at Your (A)presence—
As fire burns brushwood,
As fire causes water to boil—
To make Your name known to Your adversaries,
That the nations may tremble at Your presence!
When (B)You did awesome things for which we did not look,
You came down,
The mountains shook at Your presence.
For since the beginning of the world
(C)Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,
Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,
Who acts for the one who waits for Him.
You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness,
Who remembers You in Your ways.
You are indeed angry, for we have sinned—
(D)In these ways we continue;
And we need to be saved.

But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all (E)our righteousnesses are like [b]filthy rags;
We all (F)fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.
And there is no one who calls on Your name,
Who stirs himself up to take hold of You;
For You have hidden Your face from us,
And have [c]consumed us because of our iniquities.

But now, O Lord,
You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our (G)potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand.
Do not be furious, O Lord,
Nor remember iniquity forever;
Indeed, please look—we all are Your people!
10 Your holy cities are a wilderness,
Zion is a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolation.
11 Our holy and beautiful [d]temple,
Where our fathers praised You,
Is burned up with fire;
And all (H)our pleasant things [e]are laid waste.
12 (I)Will You restrain Yourself because of these things, O Lord?
(J)Will You [f]hold Your peace, and afflict us very severely?

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 64:1 tear open
  2. Isaiah 64:6 Lit. a filthy garment
  3. Isaiah 64:7 Lit. caused us to melt
  4. Isaiah 64:11 Lit. house
  5. Isaiah 64:11 have become a ruin
  6. Isaiah 64:12 keep silent

Bön om att Gud griper in

64 (A) O, att du rev isär himlen

        och kom ner
    så att bergen bävade inför dig,
(B) som när eld antänder ris
        och elden får vattnet att koka,
    så att ditt namn blir känt
        för dina fiender
    och hednafolken darrar för dig.
(C) När du gjorde
    förunderliga gärningar
        som vi inte väntade oss,
    då kom du ner
        och bergen bävade inför dig.
Aldrig har någon hört,
    inget öra har uppfattat,
        inget öga har sett
            en annan Gud än dig,
    som gör sådant för dem
        som väntar på honom.
Du kom för att hjälpa dem
    som gjorde det rätta med fröjd,
        som tänkte på dig på dina vägar.

Men se, du blev vred
        när vi syndade.
    Det har vi gjort länge –
        ska vi någonsin bli frälsta?
(D) Vi är alla orena,
    alla våra rättfärdiga gärningar
        är som en fläckad dräkt.[a]
    Vi vissnar alla som löv,
        och som en vind sveper
            våra missgärningar bort oss.
Ingen åkallar ditt namn,
    ingen vaknar
        för att hålla sig till dig,
    för du har dolt ditt ansikte för oss,
        överlämnat oss åt[b]
            vår missgärning.

(E) Men Herre, du är vår Far.
    Vi är leran,
        och du är den som format oss,
    vi är alla verk av din hand.
(F) Var då inte så oerhört vred, Herre,
    tänk inte för alltid
        på vår missgärning.
    Tänk på att vi alla är ditt folk.
10 Dina heliga städer är en öken.
    Sion är en öken,
        Jerusalem en ödemark.
11 (G) Vårt heliga och härliga hus,
    där våra fäder lovade dig,
        är eldens byte.
    Allt som är dyrbart för oss
        har lämnats åt förödelsen.
12 Kan du trots detta
        hålla dig tillbaka, Herre?
    Kan du tiga
        och låta oss lida så mycket?

Footnotes

  1. 64:6 fläckad dräkt   Hebr. iddím används om menstruation (se 3 Mos 15:19f).
  2. 64:7 överlämnat oss åt   Andra handskrifter: "låtit oss smälta bort i".

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?