1 Oh that thou wouldst rend the heavens, that thou wouldst come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,

2 [As when] the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thy 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 since the beginning of the world [men] have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides thee, [what] he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth, and worketh righteousness, [those that] remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.

6 But we are all as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses [are] as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken 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, because 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 very wroth, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we [are] all thy people.

10 Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is 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 grievously afflict us?