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

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

2 a s 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!

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

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

4 F rom long ago no ear has heard and no eye has seen any God besides You, Who works for those who wait 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 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?

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 A ll 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.

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 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.

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 are our pot maker. 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 so angry, O Lord. Do not remember our sin forever. 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 waste place. Zion has become a waste place. Jerusalem lies destroyed.

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 things of great worth have been destroyed.

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

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