Forget Thy wrath o Lord, be not enraged,
And our iniquities remember not
Forever, for behold a desert made
Is our holy city, to us lost.
Sion Mount deserted is and bare,
A barren waste upon a barren plain,
Jerusalem is desolated, there
Among her crumbling walls and ruined gates:
The holy house where once Thy presence dwelt,
Where once Thy glory shone forth from of old,
Where once our fathers in obeisance knelt,
And sang Thy praise, and of Thy marvels told.
Send down ye heavens from above thy rain,
Let righteousness rain down on mortal plains.
Lo! we have sinned and have been made unclean,
And we have fallen, fallen to a man,
As from a barren tree is plucked a leaf
Brown and lifeless by the autumn wind.
And as the wind our sins now drive us forth,
They bear us hence, so far, so far away
And scatter those abroad who taste not death,
For from us Thou hast hid away Thy face,
Hid away Thy face and cast us down,
And Lord, Thou hast consumed us for our sins,
For our iniquities which for so long
Thou, in Thy bounteous mercy didst forgive.
Send down ye heavens from above thy rain,
Let righteousness rain down on mortal plains.
Look down o Lord, look down and see our plight,
See what affliction on us doth descend,
And unto us Lord in Thy mercy great
Let Him come whom Thou hast deigned to send,
Let Him come, long promised from of old,
Send forth the Lamb, the ruler of all things:
From Petra in the desert's barren wolds
To Sion's sacred mount, the King of Kings.
That Sion's daughter, humbled in her shame,
May lift her face, her captors' yoke cast off,
That He may free us from our ancient chains,
Who now in silent sorrow languish long.
Send down ye heavens from above thy rain,
Let righteousness rain down on mortal plains.
Now witness all ye men what I shall do,
The Lord of Hosts hath spoken from on high,
And see ye now my servant whom I choose,
See what wonders I'll do in thy sight.
That ye may know me, that ye may believe
That I indeed, I am indeed the Lord,
Creator who indeed orders all things,
Who alone doth reign o'er all the world,
Who of salvation am the single source,
And without whom all things would be for naught,
And from my hand what man can be brought forth,
Who can indeed supplant almighty God?
Send down ye heavens from above thy rain,
Let righteousness rain down on mortal plains.
But comfort, comfort ye my people now,
And hear ye now of what I have prepared,
For my salvation swiftly cometh down:
Waste not away in sadness and in tears.
What sadness hath beset thee? Weep thou not!
Forget thy fear, the morning cometh soon,
And I will save thee, I will cheer thy heart
And comfort thee and heal thee of thy wounds:
For indeed I am the Lord thy God,
Who shepherds ever Israel’s errant fold:
Thy Redeemer, and the Holy One,
Who will not forget my ancient oath.
Send down ye heavens from above thy rain,
Let righteousness rain down on mortal plains.