Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 Why don't you tear the sky open and come down? The mountains would see you and shake with fear.
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Oh that you would tear the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence,
2 They would tremble like water boiling over a hot fire. Come and reveal your power to your enemies, and make the nations tremble at your presence!
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as when fire kindles the brushwood, [and] the fire causes the waters to boil; to make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence!
3 There was a time when you came and did terrifying things that we did not expect; the mountains saw you and shook with fear.
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When you did terrible things which we didn't look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
4 No one has ever seen or heard of a God like you, who does such deeds for those who put their hope in him.
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For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him.
5 You welcome those who find joy in doing what is right, those who remember how you want them to live. You were angry with us, but we went on sinning; in spite of your great anger we have continued to do wrong since ancient times.
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You meet him who rejoices and works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways: behold, you were angry, and we sinned: in them [have we been] of long time; and shall we be saved?
6 All of us have been sinful; even our best actions are filthy through and through. Because of our sins we are like leaves that wither and are blown away by the wind.
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For we are all become as one who is unclean, and all our righteousness are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7 No one turns to you in prayer; no one goes to you for help. You have hidden yourself from us and have abandoned us because of our sins.
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There is none who calls on your name, who stirs up himself to take hold of you; for you have hid your face from us, and have consumed us by means of our iniquities.
8 But you are our father, Lord. We are like clay, and you are like the potter. You created us,
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But now, Yahweh, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you our potter; and we all are the work of your hand.
9 so do not be too angry with us or hold our sins against us forever. We are your people; be merciful to us.
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Don't be angry very sore, Yahweh, neither remember iniquity forever: see, look, we beg you, we are all your people.
10 Your sacred cities are like a desert; Jerusalem is a deserted ruin,
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Your holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
11 and our Temple, the sacred and beautiful place where our ancestors praised you, has been destroyed by fire. All the places we loved are in ruins.
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Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised you, is burned with fire; and all our pleasant places are laid waste.
12 Lord, are you unmoved by all this? Are you going to do nothing and make us suffer more than we can endure?
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Will you refrain yourself for these things, Yahweh? will you hold your peace, and afflict us very sore?
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.