Isaiah 26
1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Iudah, We haue a strong citie: saluation shall God set for walles and bulwarkes.
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 Open ye the gates that the righteous nation, which keepeth the trueth, may enter in.
Open the gates so the nation who follows the right can come in, the nation that stays faithful.
3 By an assured purpose wilt thou preserue perfite peace, because they trusted in thee.
You will keep in complete peace those who keep their minds focused on you, because they trust in you.
4 Trust in the Lord for euer: for in the Lord God is strength for euermore.
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.
5 For hee will bring downe them that dwell on hie: the hie citie he will abase: euen vnto the ground wil he cast it downe, and bring it vnto 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 The foote shall treade it downe, euen the feete of the poore, and the steppes of the needie.
The poor tread it underfoot; the oppressed walk on top of it.
7 The way of the iust is righteousnesse: thou wilt make equall the righteous path of the iust.
You God, do what is right, and you straighten out the way for those who live right; you smooth out their path.
8 Also we, O Lord, haue waited for thee in the way of thy iudgemets: the desire of our soule is to thy Name, and to the remembrance of thee.
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 With my soule haue I desired thee in the night, and with my spirit within mee will I seeke thee in the morning: for seeing thy iudgements are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world shall learne righteousnesse.
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 Let mercie bee shewed to the wicked, yet hee will not learne righteousnesse: in the land of vprightnesse will he do wickedly, and will not beholde the maiestie 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 O Lord, they will not beholde thine hie hande: but they shall see it, and bee confounded with the zeale of the people, and the fire of thine enemies shall deuoure them.
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, vnto vs thou wilt ordeine peace: for thou also hast wrought all our workes for vs.
Lord, you give us peace and prosperity; everything we've achieved you have done for us.
13 O Lord our God, other lords beside thee, haue ruled vs, but we will remember thee onely, and thy Name.
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 shall not liue, neither shall the dead arise, because thou hast visited and scattered them, and destroyed all their memorie.
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 Thou hast increased the nation, O Lord: thou hast increased the nation: thou art made glorious: thou hast enlarged all the coastes of the earth.
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 haue they visited thee: they powred out a prayer when thy chastening was vpon them.
Lord, when we were suffering we came to you, pouring out our prayers like whispers as you disciplined us.
17 Like as a woman with childe, that draweth neere to the trauaile, is in sorow, and cryeth in her paines, so haue we bene in thy sight, 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 haue coceiued, we haue borne in paine, as though we should haue brought forth winde: there was no helpe in the earth, neither did the inhabitants of the world fall.
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 Thy dead men shall liue: euen with my body shall they rise. Awake, and sing, ye that dwel in dust: for thy dewe is as the dew of herbes, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
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: enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doores after thee: hide thy selfe for a very litle while, vntill the indignation passe ouer.
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 lo, the Lord commeth out of his place, to visite the iniquitie of the inhabitants of the earth vpon them: and the earth shall disclose her blood, and shall no more hide her slaine.
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.”
