Isaiah 26

1 In that day this song is sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city, He makes salvation [for] walls and bulwark.

In that day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city. God appoints salvation for walls and bulwarks.

2 Open the gates, That a righteous nation may enter, Preserving steadfastness.

Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter: the one which keeps faith.

3 You keep [him] in peace [whose] imagination [is] stayed—peace! For he is confident in You.

You will keep whoever’s mind is steadfast in perfect peace, because he trusts in you.

4 Trust in YHWH forever, For in YAH—YHWH [is] a rock of ages,

Trust in the LORD forever; for in the LORD, the LORD, is an everlasting Rock.

5 For He bowed down the dwellers on high, A city set on high He makes low, He makes it low to the earth, He causes it to come to the dust,

For he has brought down those who 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.

6 A foot treads it down, Feet of the poor—steps of the weak.

The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor and the steps of the needy.”

7 The path for the righteous [is] uprightness, O upright One, You ponder the path of the righteous.

The way of the just is uprightness. You who are upright make the path of the righteous level.

8 Also, [in] the path of Your judgments, O YHWH, we have waited [for] You, To Your Name and to Your remembrance [Is] the desire of the soul.

Yes, in the way of your judgments, LORD, we have waited for you. Your name and your renown are the desire of our soul.

9 I desired You in the night [with] my soul, Also, I seek You earnestly [with] my spirit within me, For when Your judgments [are] on the earth, The inhabitants of the world have learned righteousness.

With my soul I have desired you in the night. Yes, with my spirit within me I will seek you earnestly; for when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

10 The wicked finds favor, He has not learned righteousness, He deals perversely in a land of straightforwardness, And does not see the excellence of YHWH.

Let favor be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness. In the land of uprightness he will deal wrongfully, and will not see the LORD’s majesty.

11 O YHWH, Your hand [is] high—they do not see, They see the zeal of the people, and are ashamed, Also, the fire consumes Your adversaries.

LORD, your hand is lifted up, yet they do not see; but they will see your zeal for the people and be disappointed. Yes, fire will consume your adversaries.

12 O YHWH, You appoint peace to us, For You have also worked all our works for us.

LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have also done all our work for us.

13 O our God YHWH, lords have ruled us besides You, Only, by You we make mention of Your Name.

LORD our God, other lords besides you have had dominion over us, but we will only acknowledge your name.

14 Dead—they do not live, Rephaim, they do not rise, Therefore You have inspected and destroy them, Indeed, you destroy all their memory.

The dead shall not live. The departed spirits shall not rise. Therefore you have visited and destroyed them, and caused all memory of them to perish.

15 You have added to the nation, O YHWH, You have added to the nation, You have been honored, You have put all the ends of the earth far off.

You have increased the nation, O LORD. You have increased the nation! You are glorified! You have enlarged all the borders of the land.

16 O YHWH, in distress they missed You, They have poured out a whisper, Your discipline [is] on them.

LORD, in trouble they have visited you. They poured out a prayer when your chastening was on them.

17 When a pregnant woman comes near to the birth, She is pained—she cries in her pangs, So we have been from Your face, O YHWH.

Just as a woman with child, who draws near the time of her delivery, is in pain and cries out in her pangs, so we have been before you, LORD.

18 We have conceived, we have been pained. We have brought forth, as it were, wind, We do not work salvation in the earth, Nor do the inhabitants of the world fall.

We have been with child. We have been in pain. We gave birth, it seems, only to wind. We have not worked any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

19 Your dead live—My dead body, they rise. Awake and sing, you dwellers in the dust, For the dew of herbs [is] your dew, And you cause the land of Rephaim to fall.

Your dead shall live. Their dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth will cast out the departed spirits.

20 Come, My people, enter into your inner chambers, And shut your doors behind you, Hide yourself shortly [for] a moment until the indignation passes over.

Come, my people, enter into your rooms, and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself for a little moment, until the indignation is past.

21 For behold, YHWH is coming out of His place, To charge the iniquity of the inhabitant of the earth on him, And the earth has revealed her blood, Nor does she cover her slain anymore!”

For, behold, the LORD comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth also will disclose her blood, and will no longer cover her slain.