1 O h, that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down,—that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,

2 — as fire kindleth brushwood, as the fire causeth water to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations might tremble at thy presence!

3 W hen thou didst terrible things we looked not for, thou camest down, and the mountains flowed down at thy presence.

4 N ever have heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor hath eye seen a God beside thee, who acteth for him that waiteth for him.

5 T hou meetest him that rejoiceth to do righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: (behold, thou wast wroth, and we have sinned:) in those is perpetuity, and we shall be saved.

6 A nd we are all become as an unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have carried us away;

7 a nd there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee; for thou hast hidden thy face from us, and hast caused us to melt away through our iniquities.

8 A nd now, Jehovah, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

9 B e not wroth very sore, O Jehovah, neither remember iniquity for ever. Behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.

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

11 O ur holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burnt up with fire, and all our precious things are laid waste.

12 W ilt thou restrain thyself in presence of these things, Jehovah? Wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?