Isaiah 63:7-19

English Standard Version

The Lord's Mercy Remembered

⁷I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord,
    the praises of the Lord,
according to all that the Lord has granted us,
    ^(A)and the great goodness to the house of Israel
that he has granted them according to his compassion,
    according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
⁸For he said, “Surely they are my people,
    children who will not deal falsely.”
    And he became their Savior.
⁹^(B)In all their affliction he was afflicted,^[a]
    and the angel of his presence saved them;
^(C)in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
    ^(D)he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

¹⁰^(E)But they rebelled
    ^(F)and grieved his Holy Spirit;
therefore he turned to be their enemy,
    and himself fought against them.
¹¹Then he remembered ^(G)the days of old,
    of Moses and his people.^[b]
^(H)Where is he who brought them up out of the sea
    with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is he who put in the midst of them
    his Holy Spirit,
¹²who caused his glorious arm
    to go at the right hand of Moses,
^(I)who divided the waters before them
    ^(J)to make for himself an everlasting name,
¹³    who led them through the depths?
Like a horse in the desert,
    they did not stumble.
¹⁴Like livestock that go down into the valley,
    ^(K)the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
So you led your people,
    ^(L)to make for yourself a glorious name.

Prayer for Mercy

¹⁵^(M)Look down from heaven and see,
    ^(N)from your holy and beautiful^[c] habitation.
Where are ^(O)your zeal and your might?
    The stirring of your inner parts and your compassion
    are held back from me.
¹⁶For ^(P)you are our Father,
    though Abraham does not know us,
    and Israel does not acknowledge us;
you, O Lord, are our Father,
    ^(Q)our Redeemer from of old is your name.
¹⁷O Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways
    and ^(R)harden our heart, so that we fear you not?
^(S)Return for the sake of your servants,
    the tribes of your heritage.
¹⁸^(T)Your holy people held possession for a little while;^[d]
    ^(U)our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.
¹⁹^(V)We have become like those over whom you have never ruled,
    like those who are not called by your name.