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

Oh that you would tear the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence.

2 A s fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil— To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence!

As when fire kindles the brushwood, and the fire causes the water to boil; Make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence!

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

When you did awesome things which we didn’t look for, you came down, and the mountains quaked at your presence.

4 F or from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.

For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him.

5 Y ou meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness, Who remembers You in Your ways. Behold, You were angry, for we sinned, We continued in them a long time; And shall we be saved?

You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned. We have been in sin for a long time. Shall we be saved?

6 F or all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

For we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

7 T here is no one who calls on Your name, Who arouses himself to take 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 consumed us by means of our iniquities.

8 B ut now, O Lord, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand.

But now, Yahweh, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you our potter. We all are the work of your hand.

9 D o not be angry beyond measure, O Lord, Nor remember iniquity forever; Behold, look now, all of us are Your people.

Don’t be furious, Yahweh, and don’t remember iniquity forever. Look and see, we beg you, we are all 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 wilderness. Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

11 O ur holy and beautiful house, Where our fathers praised You, Has been burned by fire; And all our precious things have become a ruin.

Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised you, is burned with fire; and all our pleasant places are laid waste.

12 W ill You restrain Yourself at these things, O Lord ? Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?

Will you hold yourself back for these things, Yahweh? Will you keep silent, and punish us very severely?