The Hebrew Prophets

As a beast into a valley goeth down, The Spirit of Jehovah causeth him to rest, So hast Thou led Thy people, To make to Thyself a glorious name.

Look attentively from the heavens, And see from Thy holy and beauteous habitation, Where is Thy zeal and Thy might? The multitude of Thy bowels and Thy mercies Towards me have refrained themselves.

For Thou art our Father, For Abraham hath not known us, And Israel doth not acknowledge us, Thou, O Jehovah, art our Father, Our redeemer from the age, is Thy name.

Why causest Thou us to wander, O Jehovah, from Thy ways? Thou hardenest our heart from Thy fear, Turn back for Thy servants' sake, The tribes of Thine inheritance.

For a little while did Thy holy people possess, Our adversaries have trodden down Thy sanctuary.

We have been from of old, Thou hast not ruled over them, Not called is Thy name upon them!

Didst Thou not rend the heavens? Thou didst come down, From thy presence did mountains flow,

(As fire kindleth stubble--Fire causeth water to boil,) To make known Thy name to Thine adversaries, From Thy presence do nations tremble.

In Thy doing fearful things--we expect not, Thou didst come down, From Thy presence did mountains flow.

Even from antiquity men have not heard, They have not given ear, Eye hath not seen a God save Thee, He doth work for those waiting for Him.

Thou hast met with the rejoicer And the doer of righteousness, In Thy ways they remember Thee, Lo, Thou hast been wroth when we sin, By them is continuance, and we are saved.

And we are as unclean--all of us, And as a garment passing away, all our righteous acts; And we fade as a leaf--all of us. And our iniquities as wind do take us away.

And there is none calling in Thy name, Stirring up himself to lay hold on Thee, For Thou hast hid Thy face from us, And thou meltest us away by our iniquities.

And now, O Jehovah, thou art our Father, We are the clay, and Thou our Framer, And the work of Thy hand--all of us.

Be not wroth, O Jehovah, very sore, Nor for ever remember iniquity, Lo, look attentively, we beseech Thee, Thy people are we all.

Thy holy cities have been a wilderness, Zion a wilderness hath been, Jerusalem a desolation.

Our holy and our beautiful house, Where praise Thee did our fathers, Hath become burnt with fire, And all our desirable things have become a waste.

For these dost Thou refrain Thyself, Jehovah? Thou art silent, and dost afflict us very sore!'

I have been inquired of by those who asked not, I have been found by those who sought Me not, I have said, `Behold Me, behold Me,' Unto a nation not calling in My name.

I have spread out My hands all the day Unto an apostate people, Who are going in the way not good after their own thoughts.

The people who are provoking Me to anger, To My face continually, Sacrificing in gardens, and making perfume on the bricks:

Who are dwelling among sepulchres, And lodge in reserved places, Who are eating flesh of the sow, And a piece of abominable things--their vessels.

Who are saying, `Keep to thyself, come not nigh to me, For I have declared thee unholy.' These are a smoke in Mine anger, A fire burning all the day.

Lo, it is written before Me: `I am not silent, but have recompensed; And I have recompensed into their bosom,

Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, said Jehovah, Who have made perfume on the mountains, And on the heights have reproached Me, And I have measured their former work into their bosom.'