Isaiah 26
1 In that day, this canticle will be sung in the land of Judah. Within it will be set the city of our strength: Zion, a savior, a wall with a bulwark.
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, and let the just people who guard the truth enter.
Open you the gates, let the nation enter that keeps righteousness, and keeps truth,
3 The old error has gone away. You will serve peace: peace, for we have hoped in you.
supporting truth, and keeping peace: for on you, O Lord,
4 You have trusted in the Lord for all eternity, in the Lord God almighty forever.
they have trusted with confidence for ever, the great, the eternal God;
5 For he will bend down those living in the heights. He will bring low the lofty city. He will lower it, even to the ground. He will tear it down, even to 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 The foot will tread it down: the feet of the poor, the steps of the indigent.
And the feet of the meek and lowly shall trample them.
7 The path of the just is upright; the difficult path of the just is right to walk in.
The way of the godly is made straight: the way of the godly is also prepared.
8 And in the path of your judgments, O Lord, we have endured for you. Your name and your remembrance are the desire of the soul.
For the way of the Lord is judgment: we have hoped in your name, and on the remembrance [of you],
9 My soul has desired you in the night. But I will also watch for you with my spirit, in my inmost heart, from the morning. When you accomplish your judgments upon the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn justice.
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 Let us take pity on the impious one, but he will not learn justice. In the land of the holy ones, he has done iniquity, and so he will not see the glory 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 Lord, let your hand be exalted, and let them not see it. May the envious people see and be confounded. And may fire devour your enemies.
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 Lord, you will give us peace. For all our works have been wrought for us by you.
O Lord our God, give us peace: for you have rendered to us all things.
13 O Lord our God, other lords have possessed us apart from you, but in you alone let us remember your name.
O Lord our God, take possession of us: O Lord, we know not [any] other beside you: we name your name.
14 Let not the dead live; let not the giants rise up again. For this reason, you have visited and destroyed them, and you have perished all remembrance 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 been lenient to the people, O Lord, lenient to the people. But have you been glorified? You have removed all the limits of the earth.
bring more evils on the glorious ones of the earth.
16 Lord, they have sought you in anguish. Your doctrine was with them, amid the tribulation of murmuring.
Lord, in affliction I remembered you; your chastening was to us with small affliction.
17 Like a woman who has conceived and is approaching the time for delivery, who, in anguish, cries out in her pains, so have we become before your face, 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 have conceived, and it is as if we were in labor, but we have given birth to wind. We have not brought forth salvation on the earth. For this reason, the inhabitants of the earth have not fallen.
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 shall live. My slain will rise again. Be awakened, and give praise, you who live in the dust! For your dew is the dew of the light, and you shall be dragged down to the land of the giants, to ruination.
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 chambers. Close your doors behind you. Conceal yourselves for a very brief time, until the indignation has passed over you.
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 will go forth from his place, so that he may visit the iniquity of each inhabitant of the earth against him. And the earth will reveal its blood, and it will no longer cover its 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.
