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 they shall sing this song in the land of Judea; Behold a strong city; and he shall make salvation [its] wall and bulwark.

2 Open the gates so a righteous nation may enter— one that remains faithful.

Open you the gates, let the nation enter that keeps righteousness, and keeps truth,

3 You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You.

supporting truth, and keeping peace: for on you, O Lord,

4 Trust in the LORD forever, because GOD the LORD is the Rock eternal.

they have trusted with confidence for ever, the great, the eternal God;

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.

who have humbled and brought down them that dwell on high, you shall cast down strong cities, and bring them to the ground.

6 Feet trample it down— the feet of the oppressed, the steps of the poor.

And the feet of the meek and lowly shall trample them.

7 The path of the righteous is level; You clear a straight path for the upright.

The way of the godly is made straight: the way of the godly is also prepared.

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.

For the way of the Lord is judgement: we have hoped in your name, and on the remembrance [of you],

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.

which our soul longs for: my spirit seeks you very early in the morning, O God, for your commandments are a light on the earth: learn righteousness, you that dwell upon the earth.

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.

For the ungodly one is put down: no one who will not learn righteousness on the earth, shall be able to do the truth: let the ungodly be taken away, that he see not 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!

O Lord, your arm is exalted, yet they knew it not: but when they know they shall be ashamed: jealousy shall seize upon an untaught nation, and now fire shall devour the adversaries.

12 O LORD, You will establish peace for us. For all that we have accomplished, You have done for us.

O Lord our God, give us peace: for you have rendered to us all things.

13 O LORD our God, other lords besides You have had dominion, but Your name alone do we confess.

O Lord our God, take possession of us: O Lord, we know not [any] other beside you: we name your name.

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.

But the dead shall not see life, neither shall physicians by any means raise [them] up: therefore you have brought [wrath] upon [them], and slain [them], and have taken away every male of them. Bring more evils upon them, O Lord;

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.

bring more evils on the glorious ones of the earth.

16 O LORD, they sought You in their distress; when You disciplined them, they poured out a quiet prayer.

Lord, in affliction I remembered you; your chastening was to us with small affliction.

17 As a woman with child about to give birth writhes and cries out in pain, so were we in Your presence, O LORD.

And as a woman in travail draws near to be delivered, [and] cries out in her pain; so have we been to your beloved.

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 conceived, O Lord, because of your fear, and have been in pain, and have brought forth the breath of your salvation, which we have wrought upon the earth: we shall not fall, but all that dwell upon the land shall fall.

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.

The dead shall rise, and they that are in the tombs shall be raised, and they that are in the earth shall rejoice: for the dew from you is healing to them: but the land of the ungodly shall perish.

20 Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourselves a little while until the wrath has passed.

Go, my people, enter into your closets, shut your door, hide yourself for a little season, until the anger of the Lord have passed away.

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, behold, the Lord is bringing wrath from [his] holy place upon the dwellers on the earth: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall not cover her slain.