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.
In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God has made salvation its walls and ramparts.
2 Open ye the gates, that enter may a righteous nation, Preserving stedfastness.
Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
3 An imagination supported Thou fortifiest peace — peace! For in Thee it is confident.
The mind that is stayed on you, you will keep him in perfect peace, for he trusts in you.
4 Trust ye in Jehovah for ever, For in Jah Jehovah [is] a rock of ages,
Trust in Yahweh forever; for in Yah, Yahweh, is an everlasting rock.
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 will bring down those who live proudly; the fortified city he will lay low, he will lay low to the ground; he will level it to the dust.
6 Tread it down doth a foot, Feet of the poor — steps of the weak.
It will be trampled down by the feet of the poor and the treading 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 righteous is level, Righteous One; the path of the righteous you make straight.
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.
Yes, in the path of your judgments, Yahweh, we wait for you; your name and your reputation are our desire.
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.
I have longed for you in the night; yes, my spirit within me seeks you earnestly. For when your judgments come on the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn about 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.
Let favor be shown to the wicked one, but he will not learn righteousness. In the land of uprightness he acts wickedly and does not see the majesty of Yahweh.
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.
Yahweh, your hand is lifted up, but they do not notice. But they will see your zeal for the people and be put to shame, because fire of your adversaries will devour them.
12 O Jehovah, Thou appointest peace to us, For, all our works also Thou hast wrought for us.
Yahweh, you will bring about peace for us; for indeed, you have also accomplished all our works for us.
13 O Jehovah our God, lords have ruled us besides Thee, Only, by Thee we make mention of Thy name.
Yahweh our God, other masters besides you have ruled over us; but we praise your name alone.
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; they are deceased, they will not arise. Indeed, you came in judgment and destroyed them, and made every memory of them to perish.
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.
You have increased the nation, Yahweh, you have increased the nation; you are honored; you have extended all the borders of the land.
16 O Jehovah, in distress they missed Thee, They have poured out a whisper, Thy chastisement [is] on them.
Yahweh, in trouble have they looked to you; they whispered prayers when your discipline was on 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.
As a pregnant woman nears the time for her to give birth, when she is in pain and cries out in her labor pains, so we have been before you, 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, we have been in labor, but it is as if we have only given birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth, 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.
Your dead will live; their dead bodies will arise. Awake and sing for joy, you who live in the dust; for your dew is the dew of light, and the earth will bring forth its dead.
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 into your rooms and shut your doors behind you; hide for a little while, until the indignation has passed by.
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, look, Yahweh is about to come out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth will uncover her bloodshed, and will no longer conceal her slain.
