The Hebrew Prophets

As the cattle that go down into the valley, the Spirit of Jehovah caused them to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name.

Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where are thy zeal and thy mighty acts? the yearning of thy heart and thy compassions are restrained toward me.

For thou art our Father, though Abraham knoweth us not, and Israel doth not acknowledge us: thou, O Jehovah, art our Father; our Redeemer from everlasting is thy name.

O Jehovah, why dost thou make us to err from thy ways, and hardenest our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

Thy holy people possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.

We are become as they over whom thou never barest rule, as they that were not called by thy name.

Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might quake at thy presence,

as when fire kindleth the brushwood, and the fire causeth the waters to boil; to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!

When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains quaked at thy presence.

For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen a God besides thee, who worketh for him that waiteth for him.

Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou wast wroth, and we sinned: in them have we been of long time; and shall we be saved?

For we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

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 by means of our iniquities.

But now, O Jehovah, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

Be not wroth very sore, O Jehovah, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, look, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.

Thy holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned with fire; and all our pleasant places are laid waste.

Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O Jehovah? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?

I am inquired of by them that asked notfor me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.

I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, that walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts;

a people that provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens, and burning incense upon bricks;

that sit among the graves, and lodge in the secret places; that eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;

that say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.

Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, yea, I will recompense into their bosom,

your own iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith Jehovah, that have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I first measure their work into their bosom.