King James Version KJV
Good News Translation GNT
1 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,
1
Why don't you tear the sky open and come down? The mountains would see you and shake with fear.
2 As 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!
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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!
3 When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.
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There was a time when you came and did terrifying things that we did not expect; the mountains saw you and shook with fear.
4 For 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.
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No one has ever seen or heard of a God like you, who does such deeds for those who put their hope in him.
5 Thou 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.
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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.
6 But 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.
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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.
7 And 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.
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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.
8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
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But you are our father, Lord. We are like clay, and you are like the potter. You created us,
9 Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.
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so do not be too angry with us or hold our sins against us forever. We are your people; be merciful to us.
10 Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
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Your sacred cities are like a desert; Jerusalem is a deserted ruin,
11 Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste.
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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.
12 Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O LORD? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?
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Lord, are you unmoved by all this? Are you going to do nothing and make us suffer more than we can endure?
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.