Isaiah 64 WEB
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 you would tear the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence.
2As when fire kindles the brushwood, and the fire causes the water to boil; Make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence!
3When you did awesome things which we didn’t look for, you came down, and the mountains quaked at your presence.
4For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him.
5You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned. We have been in sin for a long time. Shall we be saved?
6For we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7There is no one who calls on your name, who stirs himself up to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have consumed us by means of our iniquities.
8But now, Yahweh, you are our Father. We are the clay and you our potter. We all are the work of your hand.
9Don’t be furious, Yahweh. Don’t remember iniquity forever. Look and see, we beg you, we are all your people.
10Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
11Our holy and our beautiful house where our fathers praised you is burned with fire. All our pleasant places are laid waste.
12Will you hold yourself back for these things, Yahweh? Will you keep silent and punish us very severely?
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