64
1 Oh
that you would tear
the heavens,
that you would
come down,
that the mountains might
quake at your
presence—
2 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 When
you did awesome
things which
we didn’t look for,
you came down, and
the mountains quaked at
your presence.
4 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 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 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 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 But
now, LORD, you
are our Father.
We are the clay
and you our potter.
We all are
the work of
your hand.
9 Don’t
be furious, LORD.
Don’t remember iniquity forever.
Look and see, we beg
you,
we are all
your people.
10 Your
holy cities have
become a wilderness.
Zion has become
a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolation.
11 Our holy
and our beautiful house
where our fathers praised
you
is burned with fire.
All our pleasant places
are laid waste.
12 Will you hold yourself back
for these things, LORD?
Will you keep silent and punish us very severely?