Isaiah 26
1 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.
In that day this song shall be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city. He will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks.
2 Open the gates of the city for people who are righteous; allow people who faithfully [obey Yahweh] to enter the city.
Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps faith may enter in.
3 Yahweh, those who trust in you, those who firmly resolve to never doubt you, you will enable them to feel perfectly peaceful.
Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts in thee.
4 [So] always trust in Yahweh, because Yahweh, [our God], is forever [like] [MET] a huge rock [under which we are sheltered/protected/safe].
Trust ye in Jehovah forever, for in Jehovah, even Jehovah, is an everlasting rock.
5 He humbles proud people and destroys cities whose people are arrogant. He causes those cities to collapse into the dust/dirt.
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 [When that happens], poor and oppressed people will trample on the ruins.
The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.
7 [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.
The way of the just is uprightness. Thou who are upright directs the path of the just.
8 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.
Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Jehovah, we have waited for thee, to thy name. Even to thy memorial, is the desire of our soul.
9 [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.
With my soul I have desired thee in the night. Yea, with my spirit within me I will seek thee earnestly. For when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
10 [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.
Let favor be shown to a wicked man, yet he will not learn righteousness. In the land of uprightness he will deal wrongfully, and will not behold the majesty of Jehovah.
11 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.
Jehovah, thy hand is lifted up, yet they do not see. But they shall see thy zeal for the people, and be put to shame. Yea, fire shall devour thine adversaries.
12 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.
Jehovah, thou will ordain peace for us, for thou have also wrought all our works for us.
13 Yahweh, our God, others have ruled over us, but you [MTY] are the only one whom we honor.
O Jehovah our God, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us, but by thee only we will make mention of thy name.
14 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.
Being dead, they shall not live. Being deceased, they shall not rise. Therefore thou have visited and destroyed them, and made all remembrance of them to perish.
15 Yahweh, you have enabled our nation to become great; we are more in [now], and we have more land, [so we] thank/praise you.
Thou have increased the nation, O Jehovah, thou have increased the nation. Thou are glorified. Thou have enlarged all the borders of the land.
16 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.
Jehovah, in trouble they have visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.
17 Like pregnant women writhe and cry out when they are giving birth, we suffered very much, too.
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 thee, O Jehovah.
18 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].
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, nor have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
19 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].
Thy dead shall live. My dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, ye who dwell in the dust, for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast forth the dead.
20 But now, my people/fellow-citizens, go home and lock your doors! Hide for a short time, until [Yahweh] is no longer angry.
Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors around thee. Hide thyself for a little moment until the indignation be passed over.
21 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.
For, behold, Jehovah comes 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.
