1If only You would tear the heavens open

and come down,a

so that mountains would quake at Your presenceb —

2cas fire kindles the brushwood,

and fire causes water to boil —

to make Your name known to Your enemies,

so that nations will tremble at Your presence!

3When You did awesome worksd

that we did not expect,

You came down,e

and the mountains quaked at Your presence.

4From ancient times no one has heard,

no one has listened,

no eye has seen any God except You,

who acts on behalf of the one who waits for Him.f

5You welcome the one who joyfully does what is right;

they remember You in Your ways.

But we have sinned, and You were angry.

How can we be saved if we remain in our sins?g

6All of us have become like something •unclean,

and all our righteous acts are like a pollutedh garment;i

all of us wither like a leaf,j

and our iniquitiesk carry us away like the wind.

7No one calls on Your name,

striving to take hold of You.

For You have hidden Your face from usl

and made us melt because ofm, n our iniquity.

8Yet LORD, You are our Father;o

we are the clay, and You are our potter;

we all are the work of Your hands.p

9LORD, do not be terribly angry

or remember our iniquity forever.q

Please look — all of us are Your people!

10Your holy cities have become a wilderness;

•Zion has become a wilderness,

Jerusalem a desolation.r

11Our holy and beautifuls temple,

where our fathers praised You,

has been burned with fire,

and all that was dear to us lies in ruins.t

12LORD, after all this, will You restrain Yourself?

Will You keep silent and afflict severely?u