Isaiah 26

1 On that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: A strong city have we; his aid will he grant [us] as walls and defence.

Some day, [people in] Judah will sing this song: Our city [of Jerusalem] is strong! Yahweh protects our city; He is like [MET] a wall that surrounds it.

2 Open ye the gates, that there may enter in the righteous nation which guardeth the truth.

Open the gates of the city for people who are righteous; allow people who faithfully [obey Yahweh] to enter the city.

3 The confiding mind wilt thou keep in perfect peace; because he trusteth in thee.

Yahweh, those who trust in you, those who firmly resolve to never doubt you, you will enable them to feel perfectly peaceful.

4 Trust ye in the Lord unto eternity; for in Yah the Lord is everlasting protection.

[So] always trust in Yahweh, because Yahweh, [our God], is forever [like] [MET] a huge rock [under which we are sheltered/protected/safe].

5 For he bendeth down the dwellers of the height; the lofty fortress—he layeth it low; he layeth it low, along the ground; he casteth it down to the dust.

He humbles proud people and destroys cities whose people are arrogant. He causes those cities to collapse into the dust/dirt.

6 The foot shall tread it down, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy.

[When that happens], poor and oppressed people will trample on the ruins.

7 The path of the just is straight: thou, most upright, dost ever level the road of the just.

[But as for] righteous people, Yahweh, you do what is right; [it is as though] you cause the paths where they walk to be level and smooth.

8 Yea, on the path of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; for thy name, and for the remembrance of thee, was the longing of our soul.

Yahweh, by obeying your laws we show that we trust you to help us; and what we desire is that you will be honored/praised/exalted.

9 In my soul have I longed for thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek for thee; for when thy judgments are [sent] on the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

[All] through the night I [SYN] desire to know you better, and each morning I still want to be with you. [Only] when you come to judge [and punish] people who live on the earth will they learn to do what is right.

10 If favor be shown to the wicked, he will not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not regard the majesty of the Lord.

[But] your acting kindly toward wicked people does not cause them to do what is good. [Even] in places where people do what is right, the wicked people continue to do what is evil, and they do not realize that you, Yahweh, are great.

11 Lord, thy hand was raised high, but they would not see: oh that they might see, and be ashamed, [thy] zeal for the people; yea, the fire which shall devour them—thy enemies.

Yahweh, [it is as though] your fist is raised up [ready to strike them], but they do not realize that. Show them that you are very eager to help your people. If your enemies would realize that, they would be ashamed; allow your fire to burn them up [because they are] your enemies.

12 Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us; for also all our works hast thou accomplished for us.

Yahweh, [we desire that] you will allow things to go well for us; everything that we have done is what you have enabled us to do.

13 O Lord our God, lords have had dominion over us beside thee; [but] of thee only would we make mention, —of thy name.

Yahweh, our God, others have ruled over us, but you [MTY] are the only one whom we honor.

14 [They are] dead, they will not live [again]; [they are] departed, they will not rise [again]; therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made to perish every memorial of them.

Those who ruled us are [now] gone; they are dead; their spirits have left this earth, and they will not become alive [again]. You punished those rulers and got rid of them, and people do not even remember them any more.

15 Thou hast done more for the nation, O Lord, thou hast done more for the nation; thou hast glorified thyself: thou hast enlarged all the ends of the earth.

Yahweh, you have enabled our nation to become great; we are more in [now], and we have more land, [so we] thank/praise you.

16 Lord, in trouble have they sought thee, they poured out earnest prayers when thy chastening was upon them.

Yahweh, when we were distressed, we asked you [to help us]; when you disciplined/punished us, we were able only to whisper when we prayed to you.

17 Like as a pregnant woman, that is near giving birth, is in pain, [and] crieth out in her pangs: so have we been in thy presence, O Lord.

Like pregnant women writhe and cry out when they are giving birth, we suffered very much, too.

18 We have been pregnant and in pain, [but it was] as though we brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the land; and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen.

We had severe pain, but nothing good resulted [MET] from it. We have not rescued our people [from being conquered by our enemies], and we have not given birth to children [who will rule the world correctly] (OR, not defeated the armies [that have attacked other nations].

19 Thy dead shall live, my dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing ye, that dwell in the dust; for a dew on herbs is thy dew, and the earth shall cast out the departed.

But Yahweh’s people who have died will become alive [again], their corpses will become alive! Those whose bodies lie in graves will rise and shout joyfully! His light will be [like] dew that falls on his people who have died, who are [now] in the place where the dead people are, [and will cause them to become alive again].

20 Go, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy door behind thee: hide thyself but for a little moment, until the indignation be passed away.

But now, my people/fellow-citizens, go home and lock your doors! Hide for a short time, until [Yahweh] is no longer angry.

21 For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to visit the iniquity of the inhabitants of the earth on them: and the earth shall disclose her blood, and shall no more be a cover over her slain.

Listen to this: Yahweh will come from heaven to punish [all] the people on the earth for the sins that they have committed. People will be able to see [PRS] the (blood of those/the people) who have been murdered; their murderers will no longer be able to hide.