Esias 26
1 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.
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 you the gates, let the nation enter that keeps righteousness, and keeps truth,
Open the gates so the nation who follows the right can come in, the nation that stays faithful.
3 supporting truth, and keeping peace: for on you, O Lord,
You will keep in complete peace those who keep their minds focused on you, because they trust in you.
4 they have trusted with confidence for ever, the great, the eternal God;
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.
5 who have humbled and brought down them that dwell on high, you shall cast down strong cities, and bring them to the ground.
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 And the feet of the meek and lowly shall trample them.
The poor tread it underfoot; the oppressed walk on top of it.
7 The way of the godly is made straight: the way of the godly is also prepared.
You God, do what is right, and you straighten out the way for those who live right; you smooth out their path.
8 For the way of the Lord is judgment: we have hoped in your name, and on the remembrance [of you],
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 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.
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 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.
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, 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.
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 O Lord our God, give us peace: for you have rendered to us all things.
Lord, you give us peace and prosperity; everything we've achieved you have done for us.
13 O Lord our God, take possession of us: O Lord, we know not [any] other beside you: we name your name.
Lord our God, there have been other lords besides you who have ruled us, but you are the only one we worship.
14 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;
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 bring more evils on the glorious ones 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 affliction I remembered you; your chastening was to us with small affliction.
Lord, when we were suffering we came to you, pouring out our prayers like whispers as you disciplined us.
17 And as a woman in travail draws near to be delivered, [and] cries out in her pain; so have we been to your beloved.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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, 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.
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.”
