Isaiah 64
64
1As when brushwood is set ablaze,
or fire makes the water boil!
Then your name would be made known to your enemies
and the nations would tremble before you,
2While you worked awesome deeds we could not hope for,#The translation here omits some words repeated in the Hebrew from 63:19 (“would that you would come down, with the mountains trembling before you”).
3such as had not been heard of from of old.
No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen,
any God but you
working such deeds for those who wait for him.#1 Cor 2:9.
4Would that you might meet us doing right,
that we might be mindful of you in our ways!
Indeed, you are angry; we have sinned,
we have acted wickedly.
5We have all become like something unclean,
all our just deeds are like polluted rags;
We have all withered like leaves,
and our crimes carry us away like the wind.#Is 1:30; 34:4.
6There are none who call upon your name,
none who rouse themselves to take hold of you;
For you have hidden your face from us
and have delivered us up to our crimes.
A Final Plea
7#The motifs of father (63:16) and creator (clay and potter, 29:16; 45:9) are adduced to move the Lord to action in view of the damage done to his “holy cities” and “glorious house.” Yet, Lord, you are our father;
we are the clay and you our potter:
we are all the work of your hand.
8Do not be so very angry, Lord,
do not remember our crimes forever;
look upon us, who are all your people!
9Your holy cities have become a wilderness;
Zion has become wilderness, Jerusalem desolation!#Ps 79:1; Lam 1.
10Our holy and glorious house
in which our ancestors praised you
Has been burned with fire;
all that was dear to us is laid waste.
11Can you hold back, Lord, after all this?
Can you remain silent, and afflict us so severely?
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Isaiah 64
64
1If only you would tear the heavens open
and come down,#Ex 19:18; Ps 18:9; 144:5
so that mountains would quake at your presence#Jdg 5:5; Ps 68:8; Nah 1:5 —
2just as fire kindles brushwood,
and fire boils water —
to make your name known to your enemies,
so that nations would tremble at your presence!
3When you did awesome works#Dt 10:21; 2Sm 7:23; Ps 65:5
that we did not expect,
you came down,#Mc 1:3–4; Hab 3:13
and the mountains quaked at your presence.
4From ancient times no one has heard,
no one has listened to,
no eye has seen any God except you
who acts on behalf of the one who waits for him.#1Co 2:9
5You welcome the one who joyfully does what is right;
they remember you in your ways.
But we have sinned, and you were angry.
How can we be saved if we remain in our sins?#64:5 Lit angry; in them continually and we will be saved; Hb obscure
6All of us have become like something unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like a polluted#64:6 Lit menstrual garment;#Is 61:10; Php 3:7–9
all of us wither like a leaf,#Ps 90:5–6; Is 1:30
and our iniquities#Is 13:11 carry us away like the wind.
7No one calls on your name,
striving to take hold of you.
For you have hidden your face from us#Is 54:8
and made us melt because of#64:7 LXX, Syr, Vg, Tg read and delivered us into the hand of#64:7 Lit melt by the hand of our iniquity.
8Yet Lord, you are our Father;#Is 63:16
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we all are the work of your hands.#Is 29:16; 45:9; Jr 18:2–6; Rm 9:20–21
9 Lord, do not be terribly angry
or remember our iniquity forever.#Is 43:25; 57:17; Mc 7:18
Please look — all of us are your people!
10Your holy cities have become a wilderness;
Zion has become a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolation.#Is 62:4
11Our holy and beautiful#64:11 Or glorious; Is 60:7 temple,
where our ancestors praised you,
has been burned down,
and all that was dear to us lies in ruins.#2Kg 25:9; Ps 74:5–7; Is 63:18; Mt 23:38
12 Lord, after all this, will you restrain yourself?
Will you keep silent and afflict us severely?#Is 42:14
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