1Rip the heavens apart!
Come down, Lord;
make the mountains tremble.
2Be a spark that starts a fire
causing water to boil.
Then your enemies will know
who you are;
all nations will tremble
because you are nearby.
3Your fearsome deeds
have completely amazed us;
even the mountains shake
when you come down.
4 You are the only God
ever seen or heard of
who works miracles
for his followers.
5You help all who gladly obey
and do what you want,
but sin makes you angry.
Only by your help
can we ever be saved.
6We are unfit to worship you;
each of our good deeds
is merely a filthy rag.
We dry up like leaves;
our sins are storm winds
sweeping us away.
7No one worships in your name
or remains faithful.
You have turned your back on us
and let our sins melt us away.
8You, Lord, are our Father.
We are nothing but clay,
but you are the potter
who molded us.
9Don't be so furious
or keep our sins
in your thoughts forever!
Remember that all of us
are your people.
10Every one of your towns
has turned into a desert,
especially Jerusalem.
11Zion's glorious and holy temple
where our ancestors praised you
has been destroyed by fire.
Our beautiful buildings
are now a pile of ruins.
12When you see these things,
how can you just sit there
and make us suffer more?