Isaiah 26
1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; salvation is established as its walls and ramparts.
In that day will this song be made in the land of Judah: We have a strong town; he will make salvation our walls and towers.
2 Open the gates so a righteous nation may enter— one that remains faithful.
Let the doors be open, so that the upright nation which keeps faith may come in.
3 You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You.
The man whose heart is unmoved you will keep in peace, because his hope is in you.
4 Trust in the LORD forever, because GOD the LORD is the Rock eternal.
Let your hope be in the Lord for ever: for the Lord Jah is an unchanging Rock.
5 For He has humbled those who dwell on high; He lays the lofty city low. He brings it down to the ground; He casts it into the dust.
For he has made low those who are lifted up, all the people of the town of pride: he makes it low, crushing it down to the earth; he makes it low in the dust.
6 Feet trample it down— the feet of the oppressed, the steps of the poor.
It will be crushed under the feet of the poor and the steps of those who are in need.
7 The path of the righteous is level; You clear a straight path for the upright.
The way of the good man is straight; the road of the upright is made smooth by you.
8 Yes, we wait for You, O LORD; we walk in the path of Your judgments. Your name and renown are the desire of our souls.
We have been waiting for you, O Lord; the desire of our soul is for the memory of your name.
9 My soul longs for You in the night; indeed, my spirit seeks You at dawn. For when Your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.
In the night the desire of my soul has been for you; early will my spirit be searching for you; for when your punishments come on the earth, the people of the world will get the knowledge of righteousness.
10 Though grace is shown to the wicked man, he does not learn righteousness. In the land of righteousness he acts unjustly and fails to see the majesty of the LORD.
Even if you are kind to the evil-doer, he will not go after righteousness; even in the land of the upright he will still go on in his wrongdoing, and will not see the glory of the Lord.
11 O LORD, Your hand is upraised, but they do not see it. They will see Your zeal for Your people and be put to shame. The fire set for Your enemies will consume them!
Lord, your hand is lifted up, but they do not see: let them see ... yes, your haters will be burned up in the fire.
12 O LORD, You will establish peace for us. For all that we have accomplished, You have done for us.
Lord, you will give us peace: for all our works are the outcome of your purpose.
13 O LORD our God, other lords besides You have had dominion, but Your name alone do we confess.
O Lord, our God, other lords than you have had rule over us; but in you only is our salvation, and no other name will we take on our lips.
14 The dead will not live; the departed spirits will not rise. Therefore You have punished and destroyed them; You have wiped out all memory of them.
The dead will not come back to life: their spirits will not come back to earth; for this cause you have sent destruction on them, so that the memory of them is dead.
15 You have enlarged the nation, O LORD; You have enlarged the nation. You have gained glory for Yourself; You have extended all the borders of the land.
You have made the nation great, O Lord, you have made it great; glory is yours: you have made wide the limits of the land.
16 O LORD, they sought You in their distress; when You disciplined them, they poured out a quiet prayer.
Lord, in trouble our eyes have been turned to you, we sent up a prayer when your punishment was on us.
17 As a woman with child about to give birth writhes and cries out in pain, so were we in Your presence, O LORD.
As a woman with child, whose time is near, is troubled, crying out in her pain; so have we been before you, O Lord.
18 We were with child; we writhed in pain; but we gave birth to wind. We have given no salvation to the earth, nor brought any life into the world.
We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have given birth to wind; no salvation has come to the earth through us, and no children have come into the world.
19 Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For your dew is like the dew of the morning, and the earth will bring forth her dead.
Your dead will come back; their dead bodies will come to life again. Those in the dust, awaking from their sleep, will send out a song; for your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the shades.
20 Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourselves a little while until the wrath has passed.
Come, my people, into your secret places, and let your doors be shut: keep yourself safe for a short time, till his wrath is over.
21 For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer conceal her slain.
For the Lord is coming out of his place to send punishment on the people of the earth for their evil-doing: the earth will let the blood drained out on her be seen, and will keep her dead covered no longer.
