Isaiah 64 KJV
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 rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,
2As 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!
3When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.
4For 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.
5Thou 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.
6But 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.
7And 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.
8But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
9Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.
10Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
11Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste.
12Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O LORD? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?
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