1 Rip the heavens apart!

Come down, Lord;

make the mountains tremble.

2 Be a spark that starts a fire

causing water to boil.*

Then your enemies will know

who you are;

all nations will tremble

because you are nearby.

3 Your fearsome deeds

have completely amazed us;

even the mountains shake

when you come down.

4 * You are the only God

ever seen or heard of

who works miracles

for his followers.

5 You help all who gladly obey

and do what you want,

but sin makes you angry.

Only by your help

can we ever be saved.*

6 We are unfit to worship you;

each of our good deeds

is merely a filthy rag.

We dry up like leaves;

our sins are storm winds

sweeping us away.

7 No one worships in your name

or remains faithful.

You have turned your back on us

and let our sins melt us away.*

8 You, Lord, are our Father.

We are nothing but clay,

but you are the potter

who molded us.

9 Don't be so furious

or keep our sins

in your thoughts forever!

Remember that all of us

are your people.

10 Every one of your towns

has turned into a desert,

especially Jerusalem.

11 Zion's glorious and holy temple

where our ancestors praised you

has been destroyed by fire.

Our beautiful buildings

are now a pile of ruins.

12 When you see these things,

how can you just sit there

and make us suffer more?