< Isaiah 26 >
1 In that day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city. God appoints salvation for walls and bulwarks.
In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; His aid doth God appoint for walls and bulwarks.
2 Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter: the one which keeps faith.
Open ye the gates, That the righteous nation may enter in, The nation that keepeth the truth.
3 You will keep whoever’s mind is steadfast in perfect peace, because he trusts in you.
Him that is of a steadfast mind Thou wilt keep in continual peace, Because he trusteth in thee.
4 Trust in the LORD forever; for in the LORD, the LORD, is an everlasting Rock.
Trust ye in Jehovah forever, For the Lord Jehovah is an everlasting rock.
5 For he has brought down those who dwell on high, the lofty city. He lays it low. He lays it low even to the ground. He brings it even to the dust.
For he hath brought down the inhabitants of the fortress; The lofty city he hath laid low; He hath laid her low even to the ground; He hath levelled her with the dust.
6 The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor and the steps of the needy.”
The foot trampleth upon her, The feet of the poor, the steps of the needy.
7 The way of the just is uprightness. You who are upright make the path of the righteous level.
The way of the upright is a smooth way; Thou, O most righteous, doth level the path of the upright!
8 Yes, in the way of your judgments, LORD, we have waited for you. Your name and your renown are the desire of our soul.
In the way of thy judgments, O Jehovah, we have waited for thee; The desire of our souls is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
9 With my soul I have desired you in the night. Yes, with my spirit within me I will seek you earnestly; for when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
My soul longeth for thee in the night, And my spirit within me seeketh thee in the morning; For when thy judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
10 Let favor be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness. In the land of uprightness he will deal wrongfully, and will not see the LORD’s majesty.
Though favor be shown to the wicked, He will not learn righteousness; In the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, And have no regard to the majesty of Jehovah.
11 LORD, your hand is lifted up, yet they do not see; but they will see your zeal for the people and be disappointed. Yes, fire will consume your adversaries.
Thy hand, O Jehovah, is lifted up, yet do they not see; But they shall see with shame thy zeal for thy people; Yea, fire shall devour thine adversaries.
12 LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have also done all our work for us.
Thou, O Jehovah, wilt give us peace; For all our works thou doest for us.
13 LORD our God, other lords besides you have had dominion over us, but we will only acknowledge your name.
O Jehovah, our God, other lords have had dominion over us besides thee; Only through thee do we call upon thy name.
14 The dead shall not live. The departed spirits shall not rise. Therefore you have visited and destroyed them, and caused all memory of them to perish.
They are dead, they shall not live; They are shades, they shall not rise. For thou hast visited and destroyed them, And caused all the memory of them to perish.
15 You have increased the nation, O LORD. You have increased the nation! You are glorified! You have enlarged all the borders of the land.
“Thou wilt enlarge the nation, O Jehovah! Thou wilt enlarge the nation; thou wilt glorify thyself; Thou wilt widely extend all the borders of the land.
16 LORD, in trouble they have visited you. They poured out a prayer when your chastening was on them.
O Jehovah, in affliction they sought thee; They poured out their prayer, when thy chastisement was upon them.
17 Just as a woman with child, who draws near the time of her delivery, is in pain and cries out in her pangs, so we have been before you, LORD.
As a woman with child, when her delivery is near, Is in anguish, and crieth aloud in her pangs, So have we been, far from thy presence, O Jehovah!
18 We have been with child. We have been in pain. We gave birth, it seems, only to wind. We have not worked any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
We have been with child; we have been in anguish, Yet have, as it were, brought forth wind. To the land we bring no deliverance; Nor are the inhabitants of the land born.
19 Your dead shall live. Their dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth will cast out the departed spirits.
O might thy dead live again, Might the dead bodies of my people arise! Awake, and sing, ye that dwell in the dust! For thy dew is like the dew upon plants, And the earth shall bring forth her dead.”
20 Come, my people, enter into your rooms, and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself for a little moment, until the indignation is past.
Come, my people, enter into thy chambers, And shut thy doors behind thee; Hide thyself for a little moment, Until the indignation be overpast!
21 For, behold, the LORD comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth also will disclose her blood, and will no longer cover her slain.
For behold, Jehovah cometh forth from his place, To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; And the earth shall disclose her blood, And shall no longer cover her slain.