Isaiah 64

Isaiah pleads for the LORD to come down and make His name known to His adversaries. He confesses that all Israel's righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and they have all faded like a leaf. He asks the LORD not to be angry beyond measure and remembers that they are the clay and the LORD is the potter.

v	King James Version	Modern English
1	Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,	Oh, that You would tear open the heavens and come down — that the mountains might quake at Your 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!	as fire kindles brushwood and fire causes water to boil — to make Your name known to Your adversaries, and that the nations may tremble at your presence!
3	When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.	When You did awesome things we did not expect — You came down; the mountains quaked at Your 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, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.	From of old 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.
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.	You meet the one who rejoices in doing righteousness, those who remember You in Your ways. Look — You were angry, and we sinned. We have long continued in our sins, and shall we 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.	We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment. We all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.
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.	There is no one who calls on your name, who rouses himself to take hold of You. For You have hidden Your face from us and have 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 thy hand.	But now, O LORD, You are our Father. We are the clay, and You are our potter. We are all the work of Your hand.
9	Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.	Do not be so angry, O LORD, and do not remember iniquity forever. Look — please look — we are all Your people!
10	Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.	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 thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste.	Our holy and beautiful house — where our fathers praised You — has been burned by fire, and all our cherished things have been ruined.
12	Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O LORD? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?	Will You restrain Yourself over these things, O LORD? Will You keep silent and punish us so severely?