1 D idst Thou not rend the heavens? Thou didst come down, From thy presence did mountains flow,

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

2 ( As fire kindleth stubble -- Fire causeth water to boil,) To make known Thy name to Thine adversaries, From Thy presence do nations tremble.

As 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!

3 I n Thy doing fearful things -- we expect not, Thou didst come down, From Thy presence did mountains flow.

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

4 E ven from antiquity have not heard, They have not given ear, Eye hath not seen a God save Thee, He doth work for those waiting for Him.

For 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.

5 T hou hast met with the rejoicer And the doer of righteousness, In Thy ways they remember Thee, Lo, Thou hast been wroth when we sin, By them continuance, and we are saved.

You 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?

6 A nd we are as unclean -- all of us, And as a garment passing away, all our righteous acts; And we fade as a leaf -- all of us. And our iniquities as wind do take us away.

For 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.

7 A nd there is none calling in Thy name, Stirring up himself to lay hold on Thee, For Thou hast hid Thy face from us, And thou meltest us away by our iniquities.

There 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.

8 A nd now, O Jehovah, thou our Father, We the clay, and Thou our Framer, And the work of Thy hand -- all of us.

But 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.

9 B e not wroth, O Jehovah, very sore, Nor for ever remember iniquity, Lo, look attentively, we beseech Thee, Thy people we all.

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

10 T hy holy cities have been a wilderness, Zion a wilderness hath been, Jerusalem a desolation.

Your holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

11 O ur holy and our beautiful house, Where praise Thee did our fathers, Hath become burnt with fire, And all our desirable things have become a waste.

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

12 F or these dost Thou refrain Thyself, Jehovah? Thou art silent, and dost afflict us very sore!'

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