Isaiah 26
1 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.
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.
2 Open all of you the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in.
Open the gates so a righteous nation may enter— one that remains faithful.
3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you: because he trusts in you.
You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You.
4 Trust all of you in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
Trust in the LORD forever, because GOD the LORD is the Rock eternal.
5 For he brings down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he lays it low; he lays it low, even to the ground; he brings it even to the dust.
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.
6 The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.
Feet trample it down— the feet of the oppressed, the steps of the poor.
7 The way of the just is uprightness: you, most upright, do weigh the path of the just.
The path of the righteous is level; You clear a straight path for the upright.
8 Yea, in the way of your judgments, O LORD, have we waited for you; the desire of our soul is to your name, and to the remembrance of you.
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.
9 With my soul have I desired you in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek you early: for when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
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.
10 Let favour be showed 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 the LORD.
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.
11 LORD, when your 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 your enemies shall devour them.
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!
12 LORD, you will ordain peace for us: for you also have wrought all our works in us.
O LORD, You will establish peace for us. For all that we have accomplished, You have done for us.
13 O LORD our God, other lords beside you have had dominion over us: but by you only will we make mention of your name.
O LORD our God, other lords besides You have had dominion, but Your name alone do we confess.
14 They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore have you visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.
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.
15 You have increased the nation, O LORD, you have increased the nation: you are glorified: you had removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.
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.
16 LORD, in trouble have they visited you, they poured out a prayer when your chastening was upon them.
O LORD, they sought You in their distress; when You disciplined them, they poured out a quiet prayer.
17 Like a woman with child, that draws near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and cries out in her pangs; so have we been in your sight, O LORD.
As a woman with child about to give birth writhes and cries out in pain, so were we in Your presence, O LORD.
18 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.
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.
19 Your dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, all of you that dwell in dust: for your dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
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.
20 Come, my people, enter you into your chambers, and shut your doors about you: hide yourself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation pass over.
Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourselves a little while until the wrath has passed.
21 For, behold, the LORD comes 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.
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.
