1Oh, that Thou wouldst rend the heavens and come down,
            That the mountains might quake at Thy presence—

     2As fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil—
            To make Thy name known to Thine adversaries,
            That the nations may tremble at Thy presence!

     3When Thou didst awesome things which we did not expect,
            Thou didst come down, the mountains quaked at Thy presence.

     4For from of old they have not heard nor perceived by ear,
            Neither has the eye seen a God besides Thee,
            Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.

     5Thou dost meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness,
            Who remembers Thee in Thy ways.
            Behold, Thou wast angry, for we sinned,
            We continued in them a long time;
            And shall we be saved?

     6For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
            And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
            And all of us wither like a leaf,
            And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

     7And there is no one who calls on Thy name,
            Who arouses himself to take hold of Thee;
            For Thou hast hidden Thy face from us,
            And hast delivered us into the power of our iniquities.

     8But now, O LORD, Thou art our Father,
            We are the clay, and Thou our potter;
            And all of us are the work of Thy hand.

     9Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD,
            Neither remember iniquity forever;
            Behold, look now, all of us are Thy people.

     10Thy holy cities have become a wilderness,
            Zion has become a wilderness,
            Jerusalem a desolation.

     11Our holy and beautiful house,
            Where our fathers praised Thee,
            Has been burned by fire;
            And all our precious things have become a ruin.

     12Wilt Thou restrain Thyself at these things, O LORD?
            Wilt Thou keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?