1 O that thou wouldst rend the heavens, and come down; That the mountains might tremble at thy presence, 2 As fire kindleth the dry stubble, As fire causeth water to boil, To make known thy name to thine adversaries, That the nations might tremble at thy presence; 3 As thou once didst wonderful things, which we looked not for, And camest down, so that the mountains trembled at thy presence. 4 For never have men heard, nor perceived by the ear, Nor hath eye seen, a God beside thee. Who doeth such things for those that trust in him. 5 Thou art the friend of those who joyfully do righteousness, Those who remember thee in thy ways. Behold, thou art angry, and we are punished; Long doth the punishment endure, before we are delivered. 6 We are all of us an unclean thing; Like a filthy garment is all our righteousness; We are all withered like a leaf, And our sins, like a storm, have blown us away. 7 There is none that calleth upon thy name, That stirreth himself up to cleave to thee; For thou hidest thy face from us, And lettest us perish by our iniquities. 8 But now, O Jehovah, thou art our father; We are the clay, and thou hast formed us; We are all of us the work of thy hands. 9 Be not wroth, O Jehovah, to the uttermost, Nor remember our iniquity forever! Behold, look upon us, we beseech thee, we are all thy people! 10 Thy holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. 11 Our holy and glorious house, Where our fathers praised thee, Is burned with fire, And all our precious things are laid waste. 12 Wilt thou contain thyself at these things, O Jehovah, Wilt thou keep silence, and still grievously afflict us?