1 *Oh, that You would tear open the heavens and come down,

That the mountains would quake at Your presence—

2 *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!

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

You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence.

4 For 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.

5 You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness,

Who remembers You in Your ways.

Behold, You were angry, for we sinned,

We continued in *our sins for a long time;

Yet shall we be saved?

6 For 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.

7 There 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 *surrendered us to the power of our wrongdoings.

8 But now, Lord, You are our Father;

We are the clay, and You our potter,

And all of us are the work of Your hand.

9 Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord,

Nor remember wrongdoing forever.

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

10 Your holy cities have become a wilderness,

Zion has become a wilderness,

Jerusalem a desolation.

11 Our holy and beautiful house,

Where our fathers praised You,

Has been burned by fire;

And all our precious things have become a ruin.

12 Will You restrain Yourself at these things, Lord?

Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?