Isaiah 64

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,	1 As when brushwood is set ablaze, or fire makes the water boil! Thus your name would be made known to your enemies and the nations would tremble before you,
2 As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!	2 While you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for,
3 When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.	3 such as they had not heard of from of old. No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you doing such deeds for those who wait for him.
4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.	4 Would that you might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of you in our ways! Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful;
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.	5 all of us have become like unclean men, all our good deeds are like polluted rags; We have all withered like leaves, and our guilt carries us away like the wind.
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.	6 There is none who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to cling to you; For you have hidden your face from us and have delivered us up to our guilt.
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.	7 Yet, O LORD, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands.
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.	8 Be not so very angry, LORD, keep not our guilt forever in mind; look upon us, who are all your people.
9 Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.	9 Your holy cities have become a desert, Zion is a desert, Jerusalem a waste.
10 Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.	10 Our holy and glorious temple in which our fathers praised you Has been burned with fire; all that was dear to us is laid waste.
11 Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste.	11 Can you hold back, O LORD, after all this? Can you remain silent, and afflict us so severely?
12 Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O LORD? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?