1Oh, that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,

2as fire kindleth brushwood, as the fire causeth water to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations might tremble at thy presence!

3When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, and the mountains flowed down at thy presence.

4Never have men heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor hath eye seen a God beside thee, who acteth for him that waiteth for him.

5Thou meetest him that rejoiceth to do righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: (behold, thou wast wroth, and we have sinned:) in those is perpetuity, and we shall be saved.

6And we are all become as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have carried us away;

7and there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee; for thou hast hidden thy face from us, and hast caused us to melt away through our iniquities.

8And now, Jehovah, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

9Be not wroth very sore, O Jehovah, neither remember iniquity for ever. Behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.

10Thy holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

11Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burnt up with fire, and all our precious things are laid waste.

12Wilt thou restrain thyself in presence of these things, Jehovah? Wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?