1Oh that you would tear open the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence, 2as when fire kindles the brushwood, and the fire causes the waters to boil; to make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence! 3When you did terrible things which we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. 4For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him. 5You meet him who rejoices and works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways: behold, you were angry, and we sinned: in them we have been a long time; and shall we be saved? 6For we have all become as one who is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment: and we all fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 7And there is none who calls upon your name, who stirs himself up to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have consumed us by means of our iniquities. 8But now, O Yehovah, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you our potter; and we all are the work of your hand. 9Do not be very severely angry, O Yehovah, nor remember iniquity forever: behold, look, we beseech you, we are all your people. 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 you, is burned with fire; and all our pleasant places are laid waste. 12Will you restrain yourself for these things, O Yehovah? will you hold your peace, and afflict us very severely?