Isaiah 64

Prayer for Mercy and Help

11Oh, that You would rend the heavens and 2come down, That the mountains might 3quake at Your presence--24As fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil-- To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the 5nations may tremble at Your presence!3When You did 6awesome things which we did not expect, You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence.4For from days of old 7they have not heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who 8waits for Him.5You 9meet him who rejoices in 10doing righteousness, Who 11remembers You in Your ways. Behold, 12You were 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 13unclean, And all our 14righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us 15wither like a leaf, And our 16iniquities, like the wind, take us away.7There is 17no one who calls on Your name, Who arouses himself to take hold of You; For You have 18hidden Your face from us And have 19delivered us into the power of our iniquities.

8But now, O Lord, 20You are our Father, We are the 21clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the 22work of Your hand.9Do not be 23angry beyond measure, O Lord, 24Nor remember iniquity forever; Behold, look now, all of us are 25Your people.10Your 26holy cities have become a 27wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.11Our holy and beautiful 28house, Where our fathers praised You, Has been burned by fire; And 29all our precious things have become a ruin.12Will You 30restrain Yourself at these things, O Lord? Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?