Read the Bible

¹ ⁽²⁾It would be like fire kindling the brush,
and the fire then makes the water boil.
Then your enemies would know your name,
the nations would tremble before you!
² ⁽³⁾When you did tremendous things
that we were not expecting,
we wished that you would come down,
so that the mountains would shake at your presence!
³ ⁽⁴⁾No one has ever heard,
no ear perceived, no eye seen,
any God but you.
You work for him who waits for you.
⁴ ⁽⁵⁾You favored those who were glad to do justice,
those who remembered you in your ways.
When you were angry, we kept sinning;
but if we keep your ancient ways, we will be saved.
⁵ ⁽⁶⁾All of us are like someone unclean,
all our righteous deeds like menstrual rags;
we wither, all of us, like leaves;
and our misdeeds blow us away like the wind.
⁶ ⁽⁷⁾No one calls on your name
or bestirs himself to take hold of you,
for you have hidden your face from us
and caused our misdeeds to destroy us.

⁷ ⁽⁸⁾But now, Adonai, you are our father;
we are the clay, you are our potter;
and we are all the work of your hands.
⁸ ⁽⁹⁾Do not be so very angry, Adonai!
Don't remember crime forever.
Look, please, we are all your people.
⁹ ⁽¹⁰⁾Your holy cities have become a desert,
Tziyon a desert, Yerushalayim a ruin.
¹⁰ ⁽¹¹⁾Our holy, beautiful house,
where our ancestors used to praise you,
has been burned to the ground;
all we cherished has been ruined.
¹¹ ⁽¹²⁾Adonai, after all this,
will you still hold back?
Will you still stay silent
and punish us past endurance?

class="poetry">

Read the Bible

Complete Jewish Bible

Isaiah 64