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The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

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- Chapter 64 -

1
I wish that you would rend the heavens, and then descend! The mountains would flow away before your face.
2
They would melt, as if thoroughly burned by fire. The waters would burn with fire, so that your name might be made known to your enemies, so that the nations would be stirred up before your face.
3
When you will perform miracles, we will not be able to withstand them. You descended, and the mountains flowed away before your presence.
4
From ages past, they have not heard it, and they have not perceived it with the ears. Apart from you, O God, the eye has not seen what you have prepared for those who await you.
5
You have met with those who rejoice in doing justice. By your ways, they will remember you. Behold, you have been angry, for we have sinned. In this, we have continued, but we will be saved.
6
And we have all become like the unclean. And all our justices are like a rag of menstruation. And we have all fallen away, like a leaf. And our iniquities have carried us away, like the wind.(a)
7
There is no one who calls upon your name, who rises up and holds fast to you. You have concealed your face from us, and you have crushed us with the hand of our own iniquity.
8
And now, O Lord, you are our Father, yet truly, we are clay. And you are our Maker, and we are all the works of your hands.
9
Do not be so angry, O Lord, and no longer call to mind our iniquity. Behold, consider that we are all your people.
10
The city of your sanctuary has become a desert. Zion has become a desert. Jerusalem is desolate.
11
The house of our sanctification and of our glory, where our fathers praised you, has been completely consumed by fire, and all our admirable things have been turned into ruins.
12
Should you restrain yourself, O Lord, concerning these things? Should you remain silent, and afflict us vehemently?

Footnotes

(a)64:6 Our justices, etc:That is, the works by which we pretended to make ourselves just. This is spoken particularly of the sacrifices, sacraments, and ceremonies of the Jews, after the death of Christ, and the promulgation of the new law.(Challoner)
1
Oh that you would tear the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence—
2
as when fire kindles the brushwood, and the fire causes the water to boil. Make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence!
3
When you did awesome things which we didn’t look for, you came down, and the mountains quaked at your presence.
4
For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him.
5
You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned. We have been in sin for a long time. Shall we be saved?
6
For we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7
There is no one who calls on your name, who stirs himself up to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have consumed us by means of our iniquities.
8
But now, LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay and you our potter. We all are the work of your hand.
9
Don’t be furious, LORD. Don’t remember iniquity forever. Look and see, we beg you, we are all your people.
10
Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
11
Our holy and our beautiful house where our fathers praised you is burned with fire. All our pleasant places are laid waste.
12
Will you hold yourself back for these things, LORD? Will you keep silent and punish us very severely?
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