1. Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence;
2. as when fire kindleth the brushwood, {cf15i and} the fire causeth the waters to boil: to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence.
3. When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.
4. For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen a God beside thee, which worketh for him that waiteth for him.
5. Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou wast wroth, and we sinned: in them {cf15i have we been} of long time, and shall we be saved?
6. For we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us by means of our iniquities.
8. But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
9. Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, look, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.
10. Thy holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
11. Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned with fire; and all our pleasant things are laid waste.
12. Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O LORD? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?