| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence— | 1If only You would tear the heavens open and come down, so that mountains would quake at Your presence-- |
| 2as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil— to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your 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 you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. | 3When You did awesome works that we did not expect, You came down, and the mountains quaked at Your presence. |
| 4From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait 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. |
| 5You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we 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? |
| 6We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take 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. |
| 7There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand 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, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your 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 so terribly angry, O LORD, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we are all your people. | 9 LORD, do not be terribly angry or remember our iniquity forever. Please look--all of us are Your people! |
| 10Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. | 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 pleasant places have become ruins. | 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. |
| 12Will you restrain yourself at these things, O LORD? Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly? | 12 LORD, after all this, will You restrain Yourself? Will You keep silent and afflict severely?" |
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