1 ¶ Oh that thou would rend the heavens, that thou would come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,

2 a s when the melting fire burns, the fire causes the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the Gentiles may tremble at thy presence!

3 A s thou didst come down when thou didst terrible things which we did not look for, that the mountains flowed down at thy presence.

4 N or have men heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither has the eye seen a God beside thee, that thou might do it again for the one who waits in him.

5 T hou didst come out to meet him that with rejoicing had worked righteous ness. In thy ways they remembered thee. Behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: thy ways are eternal, and we shall be saved.

6 ¶ But we were all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses as filthy rags; and we all fell as the leaves of a tree; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

7 A nd there is none that calls upon thy name, that wakes himself up to take hold of thee; therefore, thou hast hid thy face from us and hast allowed us to wither in the power of our iniquities.

8 B ut now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; such that we all are the work of thy hands.

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

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

11 O ur house of our Sanctuary and of our glory, where our fathers praised thee, was burned up with fire; and all our precious things were destroyed.

12 W ilt thou refrain thyself regarding these things, O LORD? Wilt thou hold thy peace and afflict us very sore?