Isaiah 26
1 In that day sung is this song in the land of Judah: 'We have a strong city, Salvation He doth make walls and bulwark.
On that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: A strong city have we; his aid will he grant [us] as walls and defence.
2 Open ye the gates, that enter may a righteous nation, Preserving stedfastness.
Open ye the gates, that there may enter in the righteous nation which guardeth the truth.
3 An imagination supported Thou fortifiest peace — peace! For in Thee it is confident.
The confiding mind wilt thou keep in perfect peace; because he trusteth in thee.
4 Trust ye in Jehovah for ever, For in Jah Jehovah [is] a rock of ages,
Trust ye in the Lord unto eternity; for in Yah the Lord is everlasting protection.
5 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,
For he bendeth down the dwellers of the height; the lofty fortress—he layeth it low; he layeth it low, along the ground; he casteth it down to the dust.
6 Tread it down doth a foot, Feet of the poor — steps of the weak.
The foot shall tread it down, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy.
7 The path for the righteous [is] uprightness, O upright One, The path of the righteous Thou dost ponder.
The path of the just is straight: thou, most upright, dost ever level the road of the just.
8 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.
Yea, on the path of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; for thy name, and for the remembrance of thee, was the longing of our soul.
9 [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.
In my soul have I longed for thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek for thee; for when thy judgments are [sent] on the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
10 The wicked findeth favour, He hath not learned righteousness, In a land of straightforwardness he dealeth perversely, And seeth not the excellency of Jehovah.
If favor be shown to the wicked, he will not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not regard the majesty of the Lord.
11 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.
Lord, thy hand was raised high, but they would not see: oh that they might see, and be ashamed, [thy] zeal for the people; yea, the fire which shall devour them—thy enemies.
12 O Jehovah, Thou appointest peace to us, For, all our works also Thou hast wrought for us.
Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us; for also all our works hast thou accomplished for us.
13 O Jehovah our God, lords have ruled us besides Thee, Only, by Thee we make mention of Thy name.
O Lord our God, lords have had dominion over us beside thee; [but] of thee only would we make mention, —of thy name.
14 Dead — they live not, Rephaim, they rise not, Therefore Thou hast inspected and dost destroy them, Yea, thou destroyest all their memory.
[They are] dead, they will not live [again]; [they are] departed, they will not rise [again]; therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made to perish every memorial of them.
15 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.
Thou hast done more for the nation, O Lord, thou hast done more for the nation; thou hast glorified thyself: thou hast enlarged all the ends of the earth.
16 O Jehovah, in distress they missed Thee, They have poured out a whisper, Thy chastisement [is] on them.
Lord, in trouble have they sought thee, they poured out earnest prayers when thy chastening was upon them.
17 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.
Like as a pregnant woman, that is near giving birth, is in pain, [and] crieth out in her pangs: so have we been in thy presence, O Lord.
18 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.
We have been pregnant and in pain, [but it was] as though we brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the land; and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen.
19 '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.
Thy dead shall live, my dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing ye, that dwell in the dust; for a dew on herbs is thy dew, and the earth shall cast out the departed.
20 Come, My people, enter into thy inner chambers, And shut thy doors behind thee, Hide thyself shortly a moment till the indignation pass over.
Go, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy door behind thee: hide thyself but for a little moment, until the indignation be passed away.
21 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!'
For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to visit the iniquity of the inhabitants of the earth on them: and the earth shall disclose her blood, and shall no more be a cover over her slain.
