1. Oh 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! {the melting...: Heb. the fire of meltings}

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, beside thee, {what} he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. {seen...: or, seen a God beside thee, which doeth so for him, etc}

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. {consumed: Heb. melted} {because: Heb. by the hand}

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.

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 burned 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?