1 O that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down,

That the mountains might flow down at thy presence,

2 As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil,

To make thy name known to thine adversaries,

That the nations may tremble at thy presence.

3 When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for,

Thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.

4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear,

Neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides thee,

What he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness,

Those that remember thee in thy ways:

Behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned:

In those is continuance, and we shall be saved.

6 But we are all as an unclean thing,

And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;

And we all do fade as a leaf;

And our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name,

That stirreth up himself to take hold of thee:

For thou hast hid thy face from us,

And hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.

8 But now, O Lord, thou art our father;

We are the clay, and thou our potter;

And we all are the work of thine hand.

9 Be not wroth very sore, O Lord,

Neither remember iniquity for ever:

Behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.

10 Thy holy cities are a wilderness,

Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

11 Our holy and our beautiful house,

Where our fathers praised thee,

Is burnt up with fire:

And all our pleasant things are laid waste.

12 Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O Lord?

Wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?