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; God has made salvation its walls and ramparts.

2 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.

Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.

3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

The mind that is stayed on you, you will keep him in perfect peace, for he trusts in you.

4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

Trust in Yahweh forever; for in Yah, Yahweh, is an everlasting rock.

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 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 The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.

It will be trampled down by the feet of the poor and the treading of the needy.

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, Righteous One; the path of the righteous you make straight.

8 Yea, 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, in the path of your judgments, Yahweh, we wait for you; your name and your reputation are our desire.

9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, 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.

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 Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord.

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 Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour 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 Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.

Yahweh, you will bring about peace for us; for indeed, you have also accomplished all our works 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.

Yahweh our God, other masters besides you have ruled over us; but we praise your name alone.

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.

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 increased the nation, O Lord, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the 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 Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.

Yahweh, in trouble have they looked to you; they whispered prayers when your discipline was on them.

17 Like 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 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 been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

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 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 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 thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

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, 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, 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.