Isaiah 64 - The Voice (VOICE)

64 If only You would rip open the heavens
and come down to earth—
Its heights and depths would quake the moment You appear,
2 Like kindling when it just begins to catch fire, or like water that’s about to boil.
If only You would come like that so that all who deny or hate You
Would know who You are and be terrified of Your grandeur.

The prophet is convinced that there is no hope apart from God’s decisive action. It is not enough to address God’s people and the nations and urge them to do better next time. The world cannot be repaired this way; in fact, it can’t be repaired from below at all. It must be made new from above. So the prophet turns to God and utters a prayer, “Rip open the heavens. Come down. Strike your enemies with terror. Do for us what You did for Your people in times past.” This is what it will take to restore God’s people, illumine the nations, and repair a world desperately broken by sin.

3 We remember that long ago You did amazing things for us
that we had never dreamed You’d do.
You came down, and the mountains shook at Your presence.
4 Nothing like that had ever happened before—no eye had ever seen,
and no ear had ever heard such wonders,
But You did them then for the sake of Your people, for those who trusted in You.
5 You meet whoever tries with sincerity of purpose to do what You want
to do justice and follow in Your ways.
But You became so angry when we rebelled and committed all sorts of wrongs;
we have continued in our sins for a long time. So how can we be saved?
6 We are all messed up like a person compromised with impurity;
even all our right efforts are like soiled rags.
We’re drying up like a leaf in autumn and are blown away by wrongdoing.
7 And it’s so sad because no one calls out to You
or even bothers to approach You anymore.
You’ve been absent from us too long;
You left us to dissolve away in the acrid power of our sins.
8 Still, Eternal One, You are our Father.
We are just clay, and You are the potter.
We are the product of Your creative action, shaped and formed into something of worth.
9 Don’t be so angry anymore, O Eternal;
don’t always remember our wrongs.
Please, look around and see that we are all Your people.
10 The places that You sanctified are reduced to nothing.
Zion is a wasteland; Jerusalem sits in eerie desolation.
11 Our holy and glorious temple, where our ancestors worshiped You,
has been burned to the ground;
Everything we loved is ruined by our enemies,
a smoking pile of ash and debris.
12 Now with all this, Eternal, will You just stand by and watch?
will You keep silent and let us continue to suffer?

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Isaiah 64 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

64 Didst Thou not rend the heavens? Thou didst come down, From thy presence did mountains flow, 2 (As fire kindleth stubble -- Fire causeth water to boil,) To make known Thy name to Thine adversaries, From Thy presence do nations tremble. 3 In Thy doing fearful things -- we expect not, Thou didst co...
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Isaiah 64 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

64 I would that thou brakest heavens, and camest down, that hills floated away from thy face, (O that thou wouldest break open the heavens, and come down, and that the hills would flow down before thee,) 2 and failed, [(or) vanish(ed) away,] as the burning of fire, and (as) [waters] burnt in (the) f...
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Isaiah 64 - World English Bible (WEB)

64 Oh that you would tear the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence.2 As when fire kindles the brushwood, and the fire causes the water to boil;Make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence!3 When you did awesome ...
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Isaiah 64 - The Voice (VOICE)

64 If only You would rip open the heavens and come down to earth—Its heights and depths would quake the moment You appear,2 Like kindling when it just begins to catch fire, or like water that’s about to boil. If only You would come like that so that all who deny or hate YouWould know who You are and...
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Isaiah 64 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

As Unclean Rags64 As fire kindles brushwood,as fire causes water to boil,make Your Name known to Your foes,so the nations may tremble before You!2 When You did awesome things that we were not expecting,You came down—the mountains shook at Your presence!3 For from days of old no one has heard,no ear ...
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Isaiah 64 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

64 O that thou wouldst rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at thy presence—2 [a]as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make thy name known to thy adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at thy presence!3 When thou didst terrible things ...
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Isaiah 64 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

64 O that thou wouldst rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at thy presence—2 [a]as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make thy name known to thy adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at thy presence!3 When thou didst terrible things ...
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Isaiah 64 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

64 O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence—2 [a] as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence!3 When you did awesome de...
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Isaiah 64 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

64 O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence—2 [a] as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence!3 When you did awesome de...
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Isaiah 64 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

64 O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence—(A)2 [a]as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence!(B)3 When you did aweso...
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Isaiah 64 - New Living Translation (NLT)

64 [a]Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in your presence!2 [b]As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil,your coming would make the nations tremble. Then your enemies would learn the reason for your fame!3 When you came down long ago, you did a...
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Isaiah 64 - New Life Version (NLV)

64 If only You would tear open the heavens and come down! The mountains would shake before You, 2 as when fire burns the wood and causes the water to boil. Come and make Your name known to those who are against you, that the nations may shake in fear before You! 3 When You did powerful things whic...
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Isaiah 64 - New King James Version (NKJV)

A Prayer for Help64 Oh, that You would [a]rend the heavens!That You would come down!That the mountains might shake at Your (A)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 (B)You did aw...
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Isaiah 64 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

64 [a]Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you!2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil,come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you!3 For when you did awesome things that we did not...
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Isaiah 64 - New International Version (NIV)

64 [a]Oh, that you would rend the heavens(A) and come down,(B) that the mountains(C) would tremble before you!2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil,come down to make your name(D) known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake(E) before you!3 For when you did awesome(F) thin...
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Isaiah 64 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

64 I wish you would open up your heavens and come down to us!I wish the mountains would tremble when you show your power!2 Be like a fire that causes twigs to burn. It also makes water boil.So come down and make yourself known to your enemies. Cause the nations to shake with fear when they see your ...
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Isaiah 64 - New English Translation (NET)

64 (63:19b)[a] If only you would tear apart the sky[b] and come down!The mountains would tremble[c] before you!2 (64:1) As when fire ignites dry wood,or fire makes water boil,let your adversaries know who you are,[d]and may the nations shake at your presence!3 When you performed awesome deeds that t...
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