A Prayer for God’s Power

1  לוּא־ (If only). קָרַ֤עְתָּ (You would rend) שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ (the heavens), יָרַ֔דְתָּ (and come down),

מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ (at Your presence), הָרִ֥ים (the mountains) נָזֹֽלּוּ׃ (would shake).

2  כִּקְדֹ֧חַ (Like the kindling), אֵ֣שׁ (by the fire) הֲמָסִ֗ים (of brushwood)

מַ֚יִם (the waters) תִּבְעֶה־ (boils), אֵ֔שׁ (the fire)

לְהוֹדִ֥יעַ (to make known) שִׁמְךָ֖ (Your name) לְצָרֶ֑יךָ (to Your adversaries),

מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ (that before Your face) גּוֹיִ֥ם (the nations) יִרְגָּֽזוּ׃ (will tremble).

3  בַּעֲשׂוֹתְךָ֥ (At Your doing) נוֹרָא֖וֹת (fearsome things) לֹ֣א (we could not) נְקַוֶּ֑ה (have expected),

יָרַ֕דְתָּ (You come down), מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ (before Your face) הָרִ֥ים (the mountains) נָזֹֽלּוּ׃ (shake).

4  וּמֵעוֹלָ֥ם (And from age past) לֹא־ (not) שָׁמְע֖וּ (they have heard),

לֹ֣א (and not) הֶאֱזִ֑ינוּ (they have given ear),

עַ֣יִן (the eye) לֹֽא־ (not) רָאָ֗תָה (has seen), אֱלֹהִים֙ (any God), זוּלָ֣תְךָ֔ (besides You)

יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה (who acts) לִמְחַכֵּה־ (for the one waiting) לֽוֹ׃ (for Him).

5  פָּגַ֤עְתָּ (You meet) אֶת־ (-) שָׂשׂ֙ (the one rejoicing) וְעֹ֣שֵׂה (and doing) צֶ֔דֶק (righteousness),

בִּדְרָכֶ֖יךָ (walking in Your ways). יִזְכְּר֑וּךָ (They remember You)

הֵן־ (behold), אַתָּ֤ה (You) קָצַ֙פְתָּ֙ (were angry); וַֽנֶּחֱטָ֔א (and we had sinned),

בָּהֶ֥ם (in them) עוֹלָ֖ם (is continuance), וְנִוָּשֵֽׁעַ׃ (then will we be saved).

6  וַנְּהִ֤י (And have become) כַטָּמֵא֙ (like an unclean one) כֻּלָּ֔נוּ (all of us)

וּכְבֶ֥גֶד (rag); עִדִּ֖ים (are as a filthy) כָּל־ (all) צִדְקֹתֵ֑ינוּ (our righteous acts)

וַנָּ֤בֶל (and wither) כֶּֽעָלֶה֙ (like the leaf); כֻּלָּ֔נוּ (all of us)

וַעֲוֺנֵ֖נוּ (and our iniquities), כָּר֥וּחַ (like the wind), יִשָּׂאֻֽנוּ׃ (carry us away).

7  וְאֵין־ (And none) קוֹרֵ֣א (is calling) בְשִׁמְךָ֔ (on Your name),

מִתְעוֹרֵ֖ר (stirring himself up) לְהַחֲזִ֣יק (to take hold) בָּ֑ךְ (of You)

כִּֽי־ (for) הִסְתַּ֤רְתָּ (You have hidden) פָנֶ֙יךָ֙ (Your face) מִמֶּ֔נּוּ (from us)

וַתְּמוּגֵ֖נוּ (and you let us melt) בְּיַד־ (in the hand) עֲוֺנֵֽנוּ׃ (of our iniquities).

8  וְעַתָּ֥ה (And now), יְהוָ֖ה (O YHWH) אָבִ֣ינוּ (our Father); אָ֑תָּה (You are)

אֲנַ֤חְנוּ (we are) הַחֹ֙מֶר֙ (the clay), וְאַתָּ֣ה (and You) יֹצְרֵ֔נוּ (the One forming us);

וּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה (and the work) יָדְךָ֖ (of Your hand) כֻּלָּֽנוּ׃ (we all are).

9  אַל־ (Do not) תִּקְצֹ֤ף (be angry) יְהוָה֙ (O YHWH), עַד־ (beyond) מְאֹ֔ד (measure),

וְאַל־ (and not) לָעַ֖ד (forever); תִּזְכֹּ֣ר (remember) עָוֺ֑ן (our iniquity)

הֵ֥ן (behold), הַבֶּט־ (look), נָ֖א (please),

עַמְּךָ֥ (Your people) כֻלָּֽנוּ׃ (we all are).

10  עָרֵ֥י (Cities) קָדְשְׁךָ֖ (Your holy) הָי֣וּ (have become) מִדְבָּ֑ר (a wilderness),

צִיּוֹן֙ (Zion) מִדְבָּ֣ר (a wilderness), הָיָ֔תָה (has become) יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם (Jerusalem) שְׁמָמָֽה׃ (a desolation).

11  בֵּ֧ית (House), קָדְשֵׁ֣נוּ (and our holy) וְתִפְאַרְתֵּ֗נוּ (and our beautiful)

אֲשֶׁ֤ר (where) הִֽלְל֙וּךָ֙ (praised You) אֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּ (our fathers)

הָיָ֖ה (has been) לִשְׂרֵ֣פַת (burned) אֵ֑שׁ (with fire);

וְכָל־ (and all) מַחֲמַדֵּ֖ינוּ (our desirable things) הָיָ֥ה (are) לְחָרְבָּֽה׃ (laid waste).

12  הַעַל־ (At) אֵ֥לֶּה (these) תִתְאַפַּ֖ק (will You restrain Yourself)

יְהוָ֑ה (O YHWH)?

תֶּחֱשֶׁ֥ה (Will You keep silent),

וּתְעַנֵּ֖נוּ (and afflict us) עַד־ (beyond) מְאֹֽד׃ס (measure)?