Yesaya 64:8-12

64:8 Yet, ¹  Lord, you are our father.

We are the clay, and you are our potter;

we are all the product of your labor. ² 

64:9 Lord, do not be too angry!

Do not hold our sins against us continually! ³ 

Take a good look at your people, at all of us! ⁴ 

64:10 Your chosen ⁵  cities have become a desert;

Zion has become a desert,

Jerusalem ⁶  is a desolate ruin.

64:11 Our holy temple, our pride and joy, ⁷ 

the place where our ancestors praised you,

has been burned with fire;

all our prized possessions have been destroyed. ⁸ 

64:12 In light of all this, ⁹  how can you still hold back, Lord?

How can you be silent and continue to humiliate us?

[64:8]  ¹ tn On the force of וְעַתָּה (vÿ’attah) here, see HALOT 902 s.v. עַתָּה.

[64:8]  ² tn Heb “the work of your hand.”

[64:9]  ³ tn Heb “do not remember sin continually.”

[64:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “Look, gaze at your people, all of us.” Another option is to translate, “Take a good look! We are all your people.”

[64:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “holy” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT); NIV “sacred.”

[64:10]  ⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[64:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “our source of pride.”

[64:11]  ⁸ tn Or “all that we valued has become a ruin.”

[64:12]  ⁹ tn Heb “because of these”; KJV, ASV “for these things.”