Isaiah 64 — AAB

A Prayer for God’s Power

64If only You would rend the heavens and come down,so that mountains would quake at Your presence,²as fire kindles the brushwoodand causes the water to boil,to make Your name known to Your enemies,so that the nations will tremble at Your presence!³When You did awesome works that we did not expect,You came down, and the mountains trembled at Your presence.⁴From ancient times no one has heard,no ear has perceived,no eye has seen any God besides You,who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.⁺⁵You welcome those who gladly do right,who remember Your ways.Surely You were angry, for we sinned.How can we be saved if we remain in our sins?⁶Each of us has become like something unclean,and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;⁺we all wither like a leaf,and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.⁷No one calls on Your nameor strives to take hold of You.For You have hidden Your face from usand delivered us into the hand⁺of our iniquity.⁸But now, O LORD, You are our Father;we are the clay, and You are the potter;
we are all the work of Your hand.⁹Do not be angry, O LORD, beyond measure;do not remember our iniquity forever.Oh, look upon us, we pray;we are all Your people!¹⁰Your holy cities have become a wilderness.Zion has become a wasteland and Jerusalem a desolation.¹¹Our holy and beautiful temple,where our fathers praised You,has been burned with fire,and all that was dear to us lies in ruins.¹²After all this, O LORD,will You restrain Yourself?Will You keep silentand afflict us beyond measure?