1Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down , that the mountains might quake at thy presence , 2as when fire kindleth the brushwood, and the fire causeth the waters to boil; to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence ! 3When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for , thou camest down, the mountains quaked at thy presence . 4For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen a God besides thee , who worketh for him that waiteth for him .
The Reality of Sin
5Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness , those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou wast wroth, and we sinned: in them have we been of long time ; and shall we be saved? 6For 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 . 7And 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.
God's Sovereignty and Mercy
8But now , O Jehovah , thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. 9Be not wroth very sore, O Jehovah , neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, look, we beseech thee, we are all thy people. 10Thy holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation . 11Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned with fire; and all our pleasant places are laid waste. 12Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O Jehovah ? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?