1Why don't you tear the sky open and come down? The mountains would see you and shake with fear. 2They would tremble like water boiling over a hot fire. Come and reveal your power to your enemies, and make the nations tremble at your presence! 3There was a time when you came and did terrifying things that we did not expect; the mountains saw you and shook with fear. 4 No one has ever seen or heard of a God like you, who does such deeds for those who put their hope in him. 5You welcome those who find joy in doing what is right, those who remember how you want them to live. You were angry with us, but we went on sinning; in spite of your great anger we have continued to do wrong since ancient times.+ 6All of us have been sinful; even our best actions are filthy through and through. Because of our sins we are like leaves that wither and are blown away by the wind. 7No one turns to you in prayer; no one goes to you for help. You have hidden yourself from us and have abandoned+ us because of our sins.

8But you are our father, Lord. We are like clay, and you are like the potter. You created us, 9so do not be too angry with us or hold our sins against us forever. We are your people; be merciful to us. 10Your sacred cities are like a desert; Jerusalem is a deserted ruin, 11and our Temple, the sacred and beautiful place where our ancestors praised you, has been destroyed by fire. All the places we loved are in ruins. 12Lord, are you unmoved by all this? Are you going to do nothing and make us suffer more than we can endure?