Dialogue with Trypho

Those who justify themselves and claim to be sons of Abraham will be eager, even to a small extent, to receive the inheritance along with you. As the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of Isaiah, cries out, portraying them: ‘Return from heaven and look from the place of Your holiness and glory. Where is Your zeal and strength? Where is the abundance of Your mercy? For You have sustained us, O Lord. For You are our Father, because Abraham is unaware of us, and Israel has not recognized us.

But You, O Lord, are our Father; deliver us, for Your name has been upon us from the beginning. O Lord, why have You made us stray from Your way and hardened our hearts so that we do not fear You? Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your inheritance, that we may inherit for a little while Your holy mountain. We were as in the beginning when You did not rule over us, and when Your name was not called upon us.

If You would open the heavens, trembling would seize the mountains before You; and they would melt, as wax melts before the fire; and fire would consume the adversaries, and Your name would be shown among the adversaries; the nations would be thrown into disorder before Your face. When You do glorious things, trembling will seize the mountains before You. From the beginning we have not heard nor have our eyes seen a God besides You, and Your works, the mercy You will show to those who repent.

You will meet those who act righteously, and they will remember Your ways. Behold, You are angry, and we have been sinning. Therefore we have gone astray and become all unclean, and all our righteousness is like the rags of a woman set apart; and we have withered like leaves because of our iniquities, and the wind will carry us away. And there is no one who calls upon Your name or remembers to take hold of You; for You have turned away Your face from us and have given us up because of our sins.

And now return, O Lord, for we are all Your people. The city of Your holiness has become desolate. Zion has become like a wilderness, Jerusalem a curse; the house, our holiness, and the glory which our fathers blessed, has been burned with fire; and all the glorious nations have fallen along with it. And in addition to these misfortunes, O Lord, You have held Yourself back, remained silent, and have humbled us greatly.’