Isaiah 63:7-64:11
New Catholic Bible
A Plea for Deliverance[a]
7 I will recount the favors of the Lord,
the glorious deeds of the Lord,
because of all that the Lord has done for us
and the great kindness he has shown
to the house of Israel.
He has favored us with his mercy
and the abundance of his steadfast love.
8 For he said, “These are indeed my people,
children who will not betray me,”
and he became their Savior.
9 In all their difficulties
it was no messenger or an angel
but he himself who saved them.
In his love and his pity he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them
through all the days of old.
10 However, they rebelled
and grieved his Holy Spirit.
Therefore, he became their enemy
and he himself fought against them.
11 Then they remembered the days of old
and Moses his servant.
Where is he who brought up from the water
the shepherd of his flock?
Where is he who put his Holy Spirit
in their midst,
12 whose glorious arm led them
to march at the right hand of Moses,
who divided the waters before them
to win for himself everlasting renown,
13 and who led them through the depths?
Like horses in open country,
they did not stumble.
14 Like cattle descending into a valley,
the Spirit of the Lord afforded them rest.
15 Look down from heaven and see,
from your holy and glorious dwelling.
Where are your zeal and your might,
your compassion and your tender mercy?
Do not withhold them from me.
16 For you are our Father.
Although Abraham does not know us
and Israel[b] does not acknowledge us,
you, O Lord, are our Father;
forever you have been called our Redeemer.
17 Why, O Lord, do you allow us
to wander from your ways,
and harden our hearts
so that we do not fear you?
Return for the sake of your servants,
for the tribes that are your heritage.
18 For a brief period of time
your people possessed your holy place,
but now your enemies have trampled down your sanctuary.
19 For far too long we have been
like those whom you do not rule,
like those who do not bear your name.
Chapter 64
1 Oh that you would tear open the heavens and come down
so that the mountains would quake in your presence,
2 as when fire sets brushwood ablaze
or causes water to boil.
Thus your name would be known to your adversaries
and the nations would tremble at your presence.
3 When you descended to perform awesome deeds
that we did not anticipate,
the mountains quaked when you appeared.
4 Throughout the ages no ear has ever heard,
nor has any eye ever seen,
any other god except you
performing such deeds for those who trust him.
5 You welcome those who lead an upright life
and rejoice to imitate your ways.
When we sin, you become angry,
but when we follow your ways,
we know that we will be saved.
6 All of us have become unclean,
and all of our righteous deeds are like filthy rags
We all become withered like leaves,
and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.
7 There is no one who invokes your name
or attempts to hold fast to you.
For you have hidden your face from us
and have delivered us up because of our sins.
8 Yet, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay and you are our potter;
all of us are the work of your hands.
9 Do not let your anger go to extremes, O Lord,
and do not remember our sinfulness forever.
Look upon us all,
for we are all your people.
10 Your holy cities have become a desert;
Zion has become a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolate waste.
11 Our holy and glorious temple
in which our ancestors praised you
has been burned to the ground,
and all that we treasured lies in ruins.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 63:7 This moving prayer, a psalm of desolation, was uttered on the morrow of the collapse of 587 B.C. or, in any case, at the beginning of the Exile.
- Isaiah 63:16 Israel: that is, Jacob. Descent from the patriarchs did not provide the needed protection.
Isaiah 63:7-64:11
New International Version
Praise and Prayer
7 I will tell of the kindnesses(A) of the Lord,
the deeds for which he is to be praised,
according to all the Lord has done for us—
yes, the many good things(B)
he has done for Israel,
according to his compassion(C) and many kindnesses.
8 He said, “Surely they are my people,(D)
children who will be true to me”;
and so he became their Savior.(E)
9 In all their distress he too was distressed,
and the angel(F) of his presence(G) saved them.[a]
In his love and mercy he redeemed(H) them;
he lifted them up and carried(I) them
all the days of old.(J)
10 Yet they rebelled(K)
and grieved his Holy Spirit.(L)
So he turned and became their enemy(M)
and he himself fought(N) against them.
11 Then his people recalled[b] the days of old,
the days of Moses and his people—
where is he who brought them through the sea,(O)
with the shepherd of his flock?(P)
Where is he who set
his Holy Spirit(Q) among them,
12 who sent his glorious arm(R) of power
to be at Moses’ right hand,
who divided the waters(S) before them,
to gain for himself everlasting renown,(T)
13 who led(U) them through the depths?(V)
Like a horse in open country,
they did not stumble;(W)
14 like cattle that go down to the plain,
they were given rest(X) by the Spirit of the Lord.
This is how you guided your people
to make for yourself a glorious name.
15 Look down from heaven(Y) and see,
from your lofty throne,(Z) holy and glorious.
Where are your zeal(AA) and your might?
Your tenderness and compassion(AB) are withheld(AC) from us.
16 But you are our Father,(AD)
though Abraham does not know us
or Israel acknowledge(AE) us;
you, Lord, are our Father,
our Redeemer(AF) from of old is your name.
17 Why, Lord, do you make us wander(AG) from your ways
and harden our hearts(AH) so we do not revere(AI) you?
Return(AJ) for the sake of your servants,
the tribes that are your inheritance.(AK)
18 For a little while(AL) your people possessed your holy place,
but now our enemies have trampled(AM) down your sanctuary.(AN)
19 We are yours from of old;
but you have not ruled over them,
they have not been called[c] by your name.(AO)
64 [d]Oh, that you would rend the heavens(AP) and come down,(AQ)
that the mountains(AR) would tremble before you!
2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze
and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name(AS) known to your enemies
and cause the nations to quake(AT) before you!
3 For when you did awesome(AU) things that we did not expect,
you came down, and the mountains trembled(AV) before you.
4 Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,(AW)
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.(AX)
5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right,(AY)
who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
you were angry.(AZ)
How then can we be saved?
6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,(BA)
and all our righteous(BB) acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,(BC)
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.(BD)
7 No one(BE) calls on your name(BF)
or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden(BG) your face from us
and have given us over(BH) to[e] our sins.
8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father.(BI)
We are the clay, you are the potter;(BJ)
we are all the work of your hand.(BK)
9 Do not be angry(BL) beyond measure, Lord;
do not remember our sins(BM) forever.
Oh, look on us, we pray,
for we are all your people.(BN)
10 Your sacred cities(BO) have become a wasteland;
even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation.(BP)
11 Our holy and glorious temple,(BQ) where our ancestors praised you,
has been burned with fire,
and all that we treasured(BR) lies in ruins.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 63:9 Or Savior 9 in their distress. / It was no envoy or angel / but his own presence that saved them
- Isaiah 63:11 Or But may he recall
- Isaiah 63:19 Or We are like those you have never ruled, / like those never called
- Isaiah 64:1 In Hebrew texts 64:1 is numbered 63:19b, and 64:2-12 is numbered 64:1-11.
- Isaiah 64:7 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew have made us melt because of
Isaiah 63:7-64:11
New King James Version
God’s Mercy Remembered
7 I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord
And the praises of the Lord,
According to all that the Lord has bestowed on us,
And the great goodness toward the house of Israel,
Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies,
According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.
8 For He said, “Surely they are My people,
Children who will not lie.”
So He became their Savior.
9 (A)In all their affliction He was [a]afflicted,
(B)And the Angel of His Presence saved them;
(C)In His love and in His pity He redeemed them;
And (D)He bore them and carried them
All the days of old.
10 But they (E)rebelled and (F)grieved His Holy Spirit;
(G)So He turned Himself against them as an enemy,
And He fought against them.
11 Then he (H)remembered the days of old,
Moses and his people, saying:
“Where is He who (I)brought them up out of the sea
With the [b]shepherd of His flock?
(J)Where is He who put His Holy Spirit within them,
12 Who led them by the right hand of Moses,
(K)With His glorious arm,
(L)Dividing the water before them
To make for Himself an everlasting name,
13 (M)Who led them through the deep,
As a horse in the wilderness,
That they might not stumble?”
14 As a beast goes down into the valley,
And the Spirit of the Lord causes him to rest,
So You lead Your people,
(N)To make Yourself a glorious name.
A Prayer of Penitence
15 (O)Look down from heaven,
And see (P)from Your habitation, holy and glorious.
Where are Your zeal and Your strength,
The yearning (Q)of Your heart and Your mercies toward me?
Are they restrained?
16 (R)Doubtless You are our Father,
Though Abraham (S)was ignorant of us,
And Israel does not acknowledge us.
You, O Lord, are our Father;
Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.
17 O Lord, why have You (T)made us stray from Your ways,
And hardened our heart from Your fear?
Return for Your servants’ sake,
The tribes of Your inheritance.
18 (U)Your holy people have possessed it but a little while;
(V)Our adversaries have trodden down Your sanctuary.
19 We have become like those of old, over whom You never ruled,
Those who were never called by Your name.
A Prayer for Help
64 Oh, that You would [c]rend the heavens!
That You would come down!
That the mountains might shake at Your (W)presence—
2 As fire burns brushwood,
As fire causes water to boil—
To make Your name known to Your adversaries,
That the nations may tremble at Your presence!
3 When (X)You did awesome things for which we did not look,
You came down,
The mountains shook at Your presence.
4 For since the beginning of the world
(Y)Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,
Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,
Who acts for the one who waits for Him.
5 You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness,
Who remembers You in Your ways.
You are indeed angry, for we have sinned—
(Z)In these ways we continue;
And we need to be saved.
6 But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all (AA)our righteousnesses are like [d]filthy rags;
We all (AB)fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.
7 And there is no one who calls on Your name,
Who stirs himself up to take hold of You;
For You have hidden Your face from us,
And have [e]consumed us because of our iniquities.
8 But now, O Lord,
You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our (AC)potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand.
9 Do not be furious, O Lord,
Nor remember iniquity forever;
Indeed, please look—we all are Your people!
10 Your holy cities are a wilderness,
Zion is a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolation.
11 Our holy and beautiful [f]temple,
Where our fathers praised You,
Is burned up with fire;
And all (AD)our pleasant things [g]are laid waste.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 63:9 Kt., LXX, Syr. not afflicted
- Isaiah 63:11 MT, Vg. shepherds
- Isaiah 64:1 tear open
- Isaiah 64:6 Lit. a filthy garment
- Isaiah 64:7 Lit. caused us to melt
- Isaiah 64:11 Lit. house
- Isaiah 64:11 have become a ruin
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.