Prayer for Mercy and Help 1
Oh, that You would rend the heavens {and} come down,
That the mountains might quake at Your presence– 2
As fire kindles the brushwood, {as} fire causes water to boil–
To make Your name known to Your adversaries,
{That} the nations may tremble at Your presence! 3
When You did awesome things which we did not expect,
You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence. 4
For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear,
Nor has the eye seen a God besides You,
Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him. 5
You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness,
Who remembers You in Your ways.
Behold, You were angry, for we sinned,
{We continued} in them a long time;
And shall we be saved? 6
For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And all of us wither like a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 7
There is no one who calls on Your name,
Who arouses himself to take hold of You;
For You have hidden Your face from us
And have delivered us into the power of our iniquities.

 8
But now, O LORD, You are our Father,
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all of us are the work of Your hand. 9
Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD,
Nor remember iniquity forever;
Behold, look now, all of us are Your people. 10
Your holy cities have become a wilderness,
Zion has become a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolation. 11
Our holy and beautiful house,
Where our fathers praised You,
Has been burned {by} fire;
And all our precious things have become a ruin. 12
Will You restrain Yourself at these things, O LORD?
Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?