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 shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; walls and bulwarks doth He appoint for salvation.

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

Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation that keepeth faithfulness may enter in.

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

The mind stayed on Thee Thou keepest in perfect peace; because it trusteth in Thee.

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

Trust ye in the LORD for ever, for the LORD is GOD, an everlasting 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 hath brought down them that dwell on high, the lofty city, laying it low, laying it low even to the ground, bringing it even to the dust.

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

The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.

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

The way of the just is straight; Thou, Most Upright, makest plain the path of the just.

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.

Yea, in the way of Thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for Thee; to Thy name and to Thy memorial is the desire of our soul.

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.

With my soul have I desired Thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me have I sought Thee earnestly; for when Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn 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.

Let favour be shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal wrongfully, and will not behold the majesty 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, Thy hand was lifted up, yet they see not; they shall see with shame Thy zeal for the people; yea, fire shall devour Thine adversaries.

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

LORD, Thou wilt establish peace for us; for Thou hast indeed wrought all our works for us.

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 beside Thee have had dominion over us; but by Thee only do we make mention of Thy 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.

The dead live not, the shades rise not; to that end hast Thou punished and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.

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.

Thou hast gotten Thee honour with the nations, O LORD, yea, exceeding great honour with the nations; Thou art honoured unto the farthest ends of the earth.

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

LORD, in trouble have they sought Thee, silently they poured out a prayer when Thy chastening was upon them.

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

Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been at Thy presence, 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 as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the land; neither are the inhabitants of the world come to life.

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.

Thy dead shall live, my dead bodies shall arise — awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust — for Thy dew is as the dew of light, and the earth shall bring to life 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, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee; hide thyself for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

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 cometh forth out of His place to visit upon the inhabitants of the earth their iniquity; the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.