1 O h, that You would rend the heavens and that You would come down, that the mountains might quake and flow down at Your presence—

If only You would tear open the heavens and come down! The mountains would shake before You,

2 A s 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!

as when fire burns the wood and causes the water to boil. Come and make Your name known to those who are against you, that the nations may shake in fear before You!

3 W hen You did terrible things which we did not expect, You came down; the mountains quaked at Your presence.

When You did powerful things which we did not expect, You came down, and the mountains shook before You.

4 F or from of old no one has heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who works and shows Himself active on behalf of him who waits for Him.

From long ago no ear has heard and no eye has seen any God besides You, Who works for those who wait for Him.

5 Y ou meet and spare him who joyfully works righteousness (uprightness and justice), remembering You in Your ways. Behold, You were angry, for we sinned; we have long continued in our sins. And shall we be saved?

You meet him who finds joy in doing what is right and good, who remembers You in Your ways. See, You were angry because we sinned. We have been sinning for a long time, and will we be saved?

6 F or we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness (our best deeds of rightness and justice) is like filthy rags or a polluted garment; we all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

All of us have become like one who is unclean. All our right and good works are like dirty pieces of cloth. And all of us dry up like a leaf. Our sins take us away like the wind.

7 A nd no one calls on Your name and awakens and bestirs himself to take and keep hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us and have delivered us into the power of our iniquities.

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 given us over to the power of our sins.

8 Y et, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our Potter, and we all are the work of Your hand.

But now, O Lord, You are our Father. We are the clay, and You are our pot maker. All of us are the work of Your hand.

9 D o not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, or remember iniquity forever. Behold, consider, we beseech You, we are all Your people.

Do not be so angry, O Lord. Do not remember our sin forever. Look now, all of us are Your people.

10 Y our holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

Your holy cities have become a waste place. Zion has become a waste place. Jerusalem lies destroyed.

11 O ur holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised You, is burned with fire, and all our pleasant and desirable places are in ruins.

Our holy and beautiful house, where our fathers praised You, has been burned by fire. And all our things of great worth have been destroyed.

12 C onsidering these, will You restrain Yourself, O Lord ? Will You keep silent and not command our deliverance but humble and afflict us exceedingly?

Will You do nothing after seeing these things, O Lord? Will You keep quiet and make us suffer even more?