The Hebrew Prophets

like cattle going down into a valley the Spirit of ADONAI had them rest. This is how you led your people, to make yourself a glorious name."

Look down from heaven; and see from your holy, glorious dwelling. Where are your zeal and your mighty deeds, your inner concern and compassion? Don't hold back,

for you are our father. Even if Avraham were not to know us, and Isra'el were not to acknowledge us, you, ADONAI, are our father, Our Redeemer of Old is your name.

ADONAI, why do you let us wander from your ways and harden our hearts, so that we do not fear you? Return, for the sake of your servants, the tribes who are your possession.

Your holy people held your sanctuary such a short time, before our adversaries trampled it down.

For so long we have been like those you never ruled, like those who were not called by your name!

We wish you would tear open heaven and come down, so the mountains would shake at your presence!

It would be like fire kindling the brush, and the fire then makes the water boil. Then your enemies would know your name, the nations would tremble before you!

When you did tremendous things that we were not expecting, we wished that you would come down, so that the mountains would shake at your presence!

No one has ever heard, no ear perceived, no eye seen, any God but you. You work for him who waits for you.

You favored those who were glad to do justice, those who remembered you in your ways. When you were angry, we kept sinning; but if we keep your ancient ways, we will be saved.

All of us are like someone unclean, all our righteous deeds like menstrual rags; we wither, all of us, like leaves; and our misdeeds blow us away like the wind.

No one calls on your name or bestirs himself to take hold of you, for you have hidden your face from us and caused our misdeeds to destroy us.

But now, ADONAI, you are our father; we are the clay, you are our potter; and we are all the work of your hands.

Do not be so very angry, ADONAI! Don't remember crime forever. Look, please, we are all your people.

Your holy cities have become a desert, Tziyon a desert, Yerushalayim a ruin.

Our holy, beautiful house, where our ancestors used to praise you, has been burned to the ground; all we cherished has been ruined.

ADONAI, after all this, will you still hold back? Will you still stay silent and punish us past endurance?

"I made myself accessible to those who didn't ask for me, I let myself be found by those who didn't seek me. I said, 'Here I am! Here I am!' to a nation not called by my name.

I spread out my hands all day long to a rebellious people who live in a way that is not good, who follow their own inclinations;

a people who provoke me to my face all the time, sacrificing in gardens and burning incense on bricks.

They sit among the graves and spend the night in caverns; they eat pig meat and their pots hold soup made from disgusting things.

They say, 'Keep your distance, don't come near me, because I am holier than you.' These are smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all day!

See, it is written before me; I will not be silent until I repay them; I will repay them to the full,

your own crimes and those of your ancestors together," says ADONAI. "They offered incense on the mountains and insulted me on the hills. First I will measure out their wages and then repay them in full."