1[a]Oh, that You would tear open the heavens and come down,

That the mountains would 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 nations may tremble at Your presence!

3When You did awesome things which we did not expect,

You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence.

4For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear,

Nor has the eye seen a God besides You,

Who acts in behalf of one who waits for Him.

5You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness,

Who remembers You in Your ways.

Behold, You were angry, for we sinned,

We continued in [c]our sins for a long time;

Yet shall we be saved?

6For all of us have become like one who is unclean,

And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;

And all of us wither like a leaf,

And our wrongdoings, like the wind, take us away.

7There is no one who calls on Your name,

Who stirs himself to take hold of You;

For You have hidden Your face from us

And have [d]surrendered us to the power of our wrongdoings.

8But now, LORD, You are our Father;

We are the clay, and You our potter,

And all of us are the work of Your hand.

9Do not be angry beyond measure, LORD,

Nor remember wrongdoing forever.

Behold, please look, all of us are Your people.

10Your holy cities have become a wilderness,

Zion has become a wilderness,

Jerusalem a desolation.

11Our holy and beautiful house,

Where our fathers praised You,

Has been burned by fire;

And all our precious things have become a ruin.

12Will You restrain Yourself at these things, LORD?

Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?