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 will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; salvation is established as its walls and ramparts.
2 Open the gates of the city for people who are righteous; allow people who faithfully [obey Yahweh] to enter the city.
Open the gates so a righteous nation may enter— one that remains faithful.
3 Yahweh, those who trust in you, those who firmly resolve to never doubt you, you will enable them to feel perfectly peaceful.
You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You.
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 in the LORD forever, because GOD the LORD is the Rock eternal.
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 humbled those who dwell on high; He lays the lofty city low. He brings it down to the ground; He casts it into the dust.
6 [When that happens], poor and oppressed people will trample on the ruins.
Feet trample it down— the feet of the oppressed, the steps of the poor.
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 path of the righteous is level; You clear a straight path for the upright.
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.
Yes, we wait for You, O LORD; we walk in the path of Your judgments. Your name and renown are the desire of our souls.
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.
My soul longs for You in the night; indeed, my spirit seeks You at dawn. For when Your judgments come upon the earth, the people 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.
Though grace is shown to the wicked man, he does not learn righteousness. In the land of righteousness he acts unjustly and fails to see the majesty of the LORD.
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.
O LORD, Your hand is upraised, but they do not see it. They will see Your zeal for Your people and be put to shame. The fire set for Your enemies will consume them!
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.
O LORD, You will establish peace for us. For all that we have accomplished, You have done for us.
13 Yahweh, our God, others have ruled over us, but you [MTY] are the only one whom we honor.
O LORD our God, other lords besides You have had dominion, but Your name alone do we confess.
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.
The dead will not live; the departed spirits will not rise. Therefore You have punished and destroyed them; You have wiped out all memory of them.
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.
You have enlarged the nation, O LORD; You have enlarged the nation. You have gained glory for Yourself; You have extended 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.
O LORD, they sought You in their distress; when You disciplined them, they poured out a quiet prayer.
17 Like pregnant women writhe and cry out when they are giving birth, we suffered very much, too.
As a woman with child about to give birth writhes and cries out in pain, so were we in Your presence, O LORD.
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 were with child; we writhed in pain; but we gave birth to wind. We have given no salvation to the earth, nor brought any life into the world.
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].
Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For your dew is like the dew of the morning, and the earth will bring forth her 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.
Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourselves a little while until the wrath has passed.
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, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer conceal her slain.
