Isaiah 64 GNV
Summary: The lament continues with a plea for the LORD to rend the heavens and come down, making mountains flow down at His presence as fire kindles brushwood, doing terrible, unexpected things as He has done before, for "since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear" of a God who acts for those who wait for Him (v. 4). The people confess their own uncleanness, comparing all their righteousness to filthy rags, fading like a leaf, carried away by their iniquities as if by wind, with no one calling upon God's name or stirring to take hold of Him. Yet they affirm the LORD is their Father, they the clay and He the potter, all of them the work of His hand, pleading that He not be furious beyond measure or remember iniquity forever. The chapter closes lamenting Jerusalem's ruined holy cities, the temple burned, and all the pleasant things laid waste, asking whether the LORD will refrain Himself and keep silent still.
1Oh, that thou wouldest breake the heauens, and come downe, and that the mountaines might melt at thy presence!
2As the melting fire burned, as the fire caused the waters to boyle, (that thou mightest declare thy Name to thy aduersaries) the people did tremble at thy presence.
3When thou diddest terrible things, which we looked not for, thou camest downe, and the mountaines melted at thy presence.
4For since the beginning of the world they haue not heard nor vnderstande with the eare, neither hath ye eye seene another God beside thee, which doeth so to him that waiteth for him.
5Thou diddest meete him, that reioyced in thee, and did iustly: they remembred thee in thy wayes: beholde, thou art angrie, for we haue sinned: yet in them is continuance, and we shall be saued.
6But we haue all bene as an vncleane thing, and all our righteousnes is as filthie cloutes, and we all doe fade like a leafe, and our iniquities like the winde haue taken vs away.
7And there is none that calleth vpon thy Name, neither that stirreth vp himselfe to take holde of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from vs, and hast consumed vs because of our iniquities.
8But now, O Lord, thou art our Father: we are the clay, and thou art our potter, and we all are the worke of thine hands.
9Be not angry, O Lord, aboue measure, neither remember iniquitie for euer: lo, we beseech thee beholde, we are all thy people.
10Thine holy cities lye waste: Zion is a wildernes, and Ierusalem a desart.
11The House of our Sanctuarie and of our glorie, where our fathers praysed thee, is burnt vp with fire and all our pleasant things are wasted.
12Wilt thou holde thy selfe still at these things, O Lord? wilt thou holde thy peace and afflict vs aboue measure?
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