64 Please Lord , break open the skies
and come down to help us!
That would make the mountains shake!
2 You would come like a fire that burns up wood,
and it causes water to boil.
The nations would shake with fear.
Your enemies would know why your name is so great.
3 In the past, you did great things,
and they surprised us.
You came down and the mountains shook with fear.
4 From the beginning, nobody has heard of any God like you.
You come to help those people who trust in you.
Nobody has ever seen or heard of a God like you!
5 You help people who are happy when they do what is right.
People like that obey your commands.
But we continued to do wrong things,
even when you were angry with us.
We have done bad things for a long time,
so will you ever come to save us?
6 Our sins have made us all like unclean people,
who cannot worship you.
Even the good things that we try to do
are like dirty bits of cloth.
Our sins will blow us all away,
as the wind blows away dead leaves.
7 Nobody prays in your name,
or calls out to you to help them.
It seems that you have turned away from us.
You have left us for our sins to rule us.
8 But Lord , you are still our Father.
We are like clay that you have used.
You are like the potter who has made us into pots.
You made us all with your own hands.
9 Lord , please do not be too angry with us.
Do not hold our sins in your mind for ever.
Do not forget us!
We are your people, all of us!
10 Your holy cities are as empty as a desert.
Yes, Zion has become a desert.
Jerusalem is just a heap of stones.
11 Our ancestors praised you
here in your temple.
It was a beautiful place that we were proud of.
But now fire has destroyed it.
All our beautiful things are completely spoiled.
12 Lord , see what is happening and do something!
Will you continue to keep quiet?
Will you continue to give us so much trouble?
64 If you would tear open the skies
and come down to earth, then everything would change.
Mountains would melt before you.
2 The mountains would burst into flames like burning bushes.
The mountains would boil like water on the fire.
Then your enemies would learn about you.
And all nations would shake with fear when they see you.
3 But you have done awesome things that we did not expect.
You came down, and mountains shook in fear before you.
4 No one has ever heard of such a God.
No one has ever heard such a story.
No one has ever seen any God except you,
who does such great things for those who trust him.
5 You welcome people who enjoy doing good and who remember you
by living the way you want them to.
But we sinned against you,
and you became angry with us. [ a ]
But you always saved us!
6 We are all dirty with sin.
Even our good works are not pure.
They are like bloodstained rags.
We are all like dead leaves.
Our sins have carried us away like wind.
7 We don’t call to you for help.
We aren’t excited about following you,
so you have turned away from us.
We are helpless before you,
because we are full of sin.
8 But, Lord , you are our father.
We are like clay, and you are the potter.
Your hands made us all.
9 Lord , don’t continue to be angry with us!
Don’t remember our sins forever!
Please, look at us!
We are all your people.
10 Your holy cities are as empty as the desert.
Zion has become a desert.
Jerusalem is destroyed.
11 Our ancestors worshiped you in our holy Temple.
That wonderful Temple has now been burned.
All our precious possessions have been destroyed.
12 Lord , will these things always keep you from helping?
Will you continue to say nothing?
Will you punish us forever?
64 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,
2 As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!
3 When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.
4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.
6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
8 But now, O Lord , thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
9 Be not wroth very sore, O Lord , neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.
10 Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
11 Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste.
12 Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O Lord ? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?
64 [ a ] Oh, that You would tear open the heavens and ( A ) come down,
That the mountains would ( B ) quake at Your presence—
2 [ b ] As fire kindles brushwood, as fire causes water to boil—
To make Your name known to Your adversaries,
That the ( C ) nations may tremble at Your presence!
3 When You did ( D ) awesome things which we did not expect,
You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence.
4 For from days of old ( E ) they have not heard or perceived by ear,
Nor has the eye seen a God besides You,
Who acts in behalf of one who ( F ) waits for Him.
5 You ( G ) meet him who rejoices in ( H ) doing righteousness,
Who ( I ) remembers You in Your ways.
Behold, ( J ) You were angry, for we sinned,
We continued in [ c ] our sins for a long time;
Yet shall we be saved?
6 For all of us have become like one who is ( K ) unclean,
And all our ( L ) righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And all of us ( M ) wither like a leaf,
And our ( N ) wrongdoings, like the wind, take us away.
7 There is ( O ) no one who calls on Your name,
Who stirs himself to take hold of You;
For You have ( P ) hidden Your face from us
And have [ d ] surrendered us to the power of our wrongdoings.
8 But now, Lord , ( Q ) You are our Father;
We are the ( R ) clay, and You our potter,
And all of us are the ( S ) work of Your hand.
9 Do not be ( T ) angry beyond measure, Lord ,
( U ) Nor remember wrongdoing forever.
Behold, please look, all of us are ( V ) Your people.
10 Your ( W ) holy cities have become a ( X ) wilderness,
Zion has become a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolation.
11 Our holy and beautiful ( Y ) house,
Where our fathers praised You,
Has been burned by fire;
And ( Z ) all our precious things have become a ruin.
12 Will You ( AA ) restrain Yourself at these things, Lord ?
Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?
64 [ a ] Oh, that you would rend the heavens ( A ) and come down, ( B )
that the mountains ( C ) would tremble before you!
2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze
and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name ( D ) known to your enemies
and cause the nations to quake ( E ) before you!
3 For when you did awesome ( F ) things that we did not expect,
you came down, and the mountains trembled ( G ) before you.
4 Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you, ( H )
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. ( I )
5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right, ( J )
who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
you were angry. ( K )
How then can we be saved?
6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, ( L )
and all our righteous ( M ) acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf, ( N )
and like the wind our sins sweep us away. ( O )
7 No one ( P ) calls on your name ( Q )
or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden ( R ) your face from us
and have given us over ( S ) to [ b ] our sins.
8 Yet you, Lord , are our Father. ( T )
We are the clay, you are the potter; ( U )
we are all the work of your hand. ( V )
9 Do not be angry ( W ) beyond measure, Lord ;
do not remember our sins ( X ) forever.
Oh, look on us, we pray,
for we are all your people. ( Y )
10 Your sacred cities ( Z ) have become a wasteland;
even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation. ( AA )
11 Our holy and glorious temple, ( AB ) where our ancestors praised you,
has been burned with fire,
and all that we treasured ( AC ) lies in ruins.
12 After all this, Lord , will you hold yourself back? ( AD )
Will you keep silent ( AE ) and punish us beyond measure?
