| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence, | 1If only You would tear the heavens open and come down, so that mountains would quake at Your presence-- |
| 2As 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! | 2as fire kindles the brushwood, and fire causes water to boil-- to make Your name known to Your enemies, so that nations will tremble at Your presence! |
| 3When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence. | 3When You did awesome works that we did not expect, You came down, and the mountains quaked at Your presence. |
| 4For 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. | 4From ancient times no one has heard, no one has listened, no eye has seen any God except You, who acts on behalf of the one who waits for Him. |
| 5Thou 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. | 5You welcome the one who joyfully does what is right; they remember You in Your ways. But we have sinned, and You were angry. How can we be saved if we remain in our sins? |
| 6But 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. | 6All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment; all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind. |
| 7And 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. | 7No one calls on Your name, striving to take hold of You. For You have hidden Your face from us and made us melt because of our iniquity. |
| 8But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. | 8Yet LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our potter; we all are the work of Your hands. |
| 9Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people. | 9 LORD, do not be terribly angry or remember our iniquity forever. Please look--all of us are Your people! |
| 10Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. | 10Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. |
| 11Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste. | 11Our holy and beautiful temple, where our fathers praised You, has been burned with fire, and all that was dear to us lies in ruins. |
| 12Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O LORD? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore? | 12 LORD, after all this, will You restrain Yourself? Will You keep silent and afflict severely?" |
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