Isaiah 26

1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; salvation will he appoint for walls and bulwarks.

In that day sung is this song in the land of Judah: 'We have a strong city, Salvation He doth make walls and bulwark.

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

Open ye the gates, that enter may a righteous nation, Preserving stedfastness.

3 Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]: because he trusteth in thee.

An imagination supported Thou fortifiest peace — peace! For in Thee it is confident.

4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is an everlasting rock.

Trust ye in Jehovah for ever, For in Jah Jehovah [is] a rock of ages,

5 For he hath brought down them that dwell on high, the lofty city: he layeth it low, he layeth it low even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust.

For He bowed down the dwellers on high, A city set on high He maketh low, He maketh it low unto the earth, He causeth it to come unto the dust,

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

Tread it down doth a foot, Feet of the poor — steps of the weak.

7 The way of the just is uprightness: thou that art up right dost direct the path of the just.

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

8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; to thy name and to thy memorial is the desire of our soul.

Also, [in] the path of Thy judgments, O Jehovah, we have waited [for] Thee, To Thy name and to Thy remembrance [Is] the desire of the soul.

9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

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

10 Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal wrongfully, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD.

The wicked findeth favour, He hath not learned righteousness, In a land of straightforwardness he dealeth perversely, And seeth not the excellency of Jehovah.

11 LORD, thy hand is lifted up, yet they see not: but they shall see [thy] zeal for the people, and be ashamed; yea, fire shall devour thine adversaries.

O Jehovah, high [is] Thy hand — they see not, They see the zeal of the people, and are ashamed, Also, the fire — Thine adversaries, consumeth them.

12 LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou hast also wrought all our works for us.

O Jehovah, Thou appointest peace to us, For, all our works also Thou hast wrought for us.

13 O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us; but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.

O Jehovah our God, lords have ruled us besides Thee, Only, by Thee we make mention of Thy name.

14 [They are] dead, they shall not live; [they are] deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.

Dead — they live not, Rephaim, they rise not, Therefore Thou hast inspected and dost destroy them, Yea, thou destroyest all their memory.

15 Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation; thou art glorified: thou hast enlarged all the borders of the land.

Thou hast added to the nation, O Jehovah, Thou hast added to the nation, Thou hast been honoured, Thou hast put far off all the ends of earth.

16 LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer [when] thy chastening was upon them.

O Jehovah, in distress they missed Thee, They have poured out a whisper, Thy chastisement [is] on them.

17 Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been before thee, O LORD.

When a pregnant woman cometh near to the birth, She is pained — she crieth in her pangs, So we have been from Thy face, O Jehovah.

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

19 Thy dead shall live; my dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust: for thy dew is [as] the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast forth the dead.

'Thy dead live — My dead body they rise. Awake and sing, ye dwellers in the dust, For the dew of herbs [is] thy dew, And the land of Rephaim thou causest to fall.

20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

Come, My people, enter into thy inner chambers, And shut thy doors behind thee, Hide thyself shortly a moment till the indignation pass over.

21 For, behold, the LORD cometh forth 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, lo, Jehovah is coming out of His place, To charge the iniquity of the inhabitant of the earth upon him, And revealed hath the earth her blood, Nor doth she cover any more her slain!'