Isaiah 26
1 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.
At that time, this will be the song that is sung in the land of Judah: “Ours is a strong city! Its walls and defenses are our salvation!
2 Let the doors be open, so that the upright nation which keeps faith may come in.
Open the gates so the nation who follows the right can come in, the nation that stays faithful.
3 The man whose heart is unmoved you will keep in peace, because his hope is in you.
You will keep in complete peace those who keep their minds focused on you, because they trust in you.
4 Let your hope be in the Lord for ever: for the Lord Jah is an unchanging Rock.
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.
5 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.
He brings down those who live so high and mighty; he demolishes the proud city with its high walls, bringing it down to the ground, into the dust.
6 It will be crushed under the feet of the poor and the steps of those who are in need.
The poor tread it underfoot; the oppressed walk on top of it.
7 The way of the good man is straight; the road of the upright is made smooth by you.
You God, do what is right, and you straighten out the way for those who live right; you smooth out their path.
8 We have been waiting for you, O Lord; the desire of our soul is for the memory of your name.
Yes, we follow your instructions, Lord, we put our hope in you. What we most want is to remember you and your wonderful character.
9 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.
I look for you in the night; deep inside me I long for you. When your laws are shown to the earth, then the people of the world learn what is right.
10 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.
Though grace is shown to the wicked, they don't learn to do right. Even in a country where people do what's right, they continue to do evil and they don't think about how great the Lord is.
11 Lord, your hand is lifted up, but they do not see: let them see ... yes, your haters will be burned up in the fire.
Lord, you are holding your hand up, but they don't see it. Let them see your passionate commitment for your people, and be embarrassed; may the fire reserved for your enemies destroy them!
12 Lord, you will give us peace: for all our works are the outcome of your purpose.
Lord, you give us peace and prosperity; everything we've achieved you have done for us.
13 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.
Lord our God, there have been other lords besides you who have ruled us, but you are the only one we worship.
14 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.
They are dead, they will not live again; they will not rise from the grave. Lord, you punished them and destroyed them—even wiping out every memory about them.
15 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.
You have made the nation grow, Lord, you have made the nation grow. You have expanded our borders of the land, and we honored you.
16 Lord, in trouble our eyes have been turned to you, we sent up a prayer when your punishment was on us.
Lord, when we were suffering we came to you, pouring out our prayers like whispers as you disciplined us.
17 As a woman with child, whose time is near, is troubled, crying out in her pain; so have we been before you, O Lord.
Just as a pregnant woman giving birth tosses about and cries out in pain, that's what we were like in your presence, Lord.
18 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.
However, even though we became pregnant and we tossed about in pain, we gave birth to nothing but air. We did not bring about the salvation of the earth, and the people of the world have not become alive.
19 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.
But those who died in you, Lord, will live! Their bodies will rise again! Wake up, and sing for joy, you people sleeping in the dust, for the dew you receive is like the dew of the morning giving life to those in the grave.
20 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.
My people, go inside your homes and close your doors behind you. Hide there for a little while until the fury has passed.
21 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.
Watch out! The Lord is coming from where he lives to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will reveal the blood that has been shed on it; the earth won't hide those who have been killed any no longer.”
