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 they shall sing this song in the land of Judea; Behold a strong city; and he shall make salvation [its] wall and bulwark.
2 Open the gates of the city for people who are righteous; allow people who faithfully [obey Yahweh] to enter the city.
Open you the gates, let the nation enter that keeps righteousness, and keeps truth,
3 Yahweh, those who trust in you, those who firmly resolve to never doubt you, you will enable them to feel perfectly peaceful.
supporting truth, and keeping peace: for on you, O Lord,
4 [So] always trust in Yahweh, because Yahweh, [our God], is forever [like] [MET] a huge rock [under which we are sheltered/protected/safe].
they have trusted with confidence for ever, the great, the eternal God;
5 He humbles proud people and destroys cities whose people are arrogant. He causes those cities to collapse into the dust/dirt.
who have humbled and brought down them that dwell on high, you shall cast down strong cities, and bring them to the ground.
6 [When that happens], poor and oppressed people will trample on the ruins.
And the feet of the meek and lowly shall trample them.
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 godly is made straight: the way of the godly is also prepared.
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.
For the way of the Lord is judgment: we have hoped in your name, and on the remembrance [of you],
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.
which our soul longs for: my spirit seeks you very early in the morning, O God, for your commandments are a light on the earth: learn righteousness, you that dwell upon the earth.
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.
For the ungodly one is put down: no one who will not learn righteousness on the earth, shall be able to do the truth: let the ungodly be taken away, that he see not the glory 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 arm is exalted, yet they knew it not: but when they know they shall be ashamed: jealousy shall seize upon an untaught nation, and now fire shall devour the 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.
O Lord our God, give us peace: for you have rendered to us all things.
13 Yahweh, our God, others have ruled over us, but you [MTY] are the only one whom we honor.
O Lord our God, take possession of us: O Lord, we know not [any] other beside you: we name your 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.
But the dead shall not see life, neither shall physicians by any means raise [them] up: therefore you have brought [wrath] upon [them], and slain [them], and have taken away every male of them. Bring more evils upon them, O Lord;
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.
bring more evils on the glorious ones of the earth.
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.
Lord, in affliction I remembered you; your chastening was to us with small affliction.
17 Like pregnant women writhe and cry out when they are giving birth, we suffered very much, too.
And as a woman in travail draws near to be delivered, [and] cries out in her pain; so have we been to your beloved.
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 conceived, O Lord, because of your fear, and have been in pain, and have brought forth the breath of your salvation, which we have wrought upon the earth: we shall not fall, but all that dwell upon the land shall fall.
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].
The dead shall rise, and they that are in the tombs shall be raised, and they that are in the earth shall rejoice: for the dew from you is healing to them: but the land of the ungodly shall perish.
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 into your closets, shut your door, hide yourself for a little season, until the anger of the Lord have passed away.
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 bringing wrath from [his] holy place upon the dwellers on the earth: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall not cover her slain.
