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.
In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.
2 Let the doors be open, so that the upright nation which keeps faith may come in.
Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.
3 The man whose heart is unmoved you will keep in peace, because his hope is in you.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
4 Let your hope be in the Lord for ever: for the Lord Jah is an unchanging Rock.
Trust ye in Yhwh for ever: for in Yah Yhwh is everlasting strength:
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.
For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust.
6 It will be crushed under the feet of the poor and the steps of those who are in need.
The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.
7 The way of the good man is straight; the road of the upright is made smooth by you.
The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.
8 We have been waiting for you, O Lord; the desire of our soul is for the memory of your name.
Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Yhwh, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
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.
With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
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.
Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of Yhwh.
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.
Yhwh, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.
12 Lord, you will give us peace: for all our works are the outcome of your purpose.
Yhwh, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in 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.
O Yhwh our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.
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 shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.
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.
Thou hast increased the nation, O Yhwh, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.
16 Lord, in trouble our eyes have been turned to you, we sent up a prayer when your punishment was on us.
Yhwh, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.
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.
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 in thy sight, O Yhwh.
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.
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 earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
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.
Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
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.
Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
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.
For, behold, Yhwh cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
