Isaiah 26
1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will [God] appoint [for] walls and bulwarks.
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 ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.
Open the gates so a righteous nation may enter— one that remains faithful.
3 Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]: because he trusteth in thee.
You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You.
4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH [is] everlasting strength:
Trust in the LORD forever, because GOD the LORD is the Rock eternal.
5 For he bringeth 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 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 The foot shall tread it down, [even] the feet of the poor, [and] the steps of the needy.
Feet trample it down— the feet of the oppressed, the steps of the poor.
7 The way of the just [is] uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.
The path of the righteous is level; You clear a straight path for the upright.
8 Yes, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of [our] soul [is] to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
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 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yes, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments [are] in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
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 Let favor be shown to the wicked, [yet] he will not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness he will deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD.
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 LORD, [when] thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: [but] they shall see, and be ashamed for [their] envy at the people; yes, the fire of thy enemies shall devour them.
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 LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.
O LORD, You will establish peace for us. For all that we have accomplished, You have done 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 LORD our God, other lords besides You have had dominion, but Your name alone do we confess.
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.
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 Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation; thou art glorified: thou hadst removed [it] far to all the ends of the earth.
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 LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer [when] thy chastening [was] upon them.
O LORD, they sought You in their distress; when You disciplined them, they poured out a quiet prayer.
17 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 in thy sight, O LORD.
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 have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance on the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
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 Thy dead [men] shall live, [together with] my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew [is as] the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
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 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee; hide thyself as it were for a little moment until the indignation shall be overpast.
Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourselves a little while until the wrath has passed.
21 For behold, the LORD cometh 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 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.
