Isaiah 26

1 In that day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city. God appoints salvation for walls and bulwarks.

At that time, this will be the song that is sung in the land of Judah: “Ours is a strong city! Its walls and defenses are our salvation!

2 Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter: the one which keeps faith.

Open the gates so the nation who follows the right can come in, the nation that stays faithful.

3 You will keep whoever’s mind is steadfast in perfect peace, because he trusts in you.

You will keep in complete peace those who keep their minds focused on you, because they trust in you.

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

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

5 For he has brought down those who dwell on high, the lofty city. He lays it low. He lays it low even to the ground. He brings it even to the dust.

He brings down those who live so high and mighty; he demolishes the proud city with its high walls, bringing it down to the ground, into the dust.

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

The poor tread it underfoot; the oppressed walk on top of it.

7 The way of the just is uprightness. You who are upright make the path of the righteous level.

You God, do what is right, and you straighten out the way for those who live right; you smooth out their path.

8 Yes, in the way of your judgments, Yahweh, we have waited for you. Your name and your renown are the desire of our soul.

Yes, we follow your instructions, Lord, we put our hope in you. What we most want is to remember you and your wonderful character.

9 With my soul I have desired you in the night. Yes, with my spirit within me I will seek you earnestly; for when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

I look for you in the night; deep inside me I long for you. When your laws are shown to the earth, then the people of the world learn what is right.

10 Let favor be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness. In the land of uprightness he will deal wrongfully, and will not see Yahweh’s majesty.

Though grace is shown to the wicked, they don't learn to do right. Even in a country where people do what's right, they continue to do evil and they don't think about how great the Lord is.

11 Yahweh, your hand is lifted up, yet they don’t see; but they will see your zeal for the people and be disappointed. Yes, fire will consume your adversaries.

Lord, you are holding your hand up, but they don't see it. Let them see your passionate commitment for your people, and be embarrassed; may the fire reserved for your enemies destroy them!

12 Yahweh, you will ordain peace for us, for you have also done all our work for us.

Lord, you give us peace and prosperity; everything we've achieved you have done for us.

13 Yahweh our God, other lords besides you have had dominion over us, but we will only acknowledge your name.

Lord our God, there have been other lords besides you who have ruled us, but you are the only one we worship.

14 The dead shall not live. The departed spirits shall not rise. Therefore you have visited and destroyed them, and caused all memory of them to perish.

They are dead, they will not live again; they will not rise from the grave. Lord, you punished them and destroyed them—even wiping out every memory about them.

15 You have increased the nation, O Yahweh. You have increased the nation! You are glorified! You have enlarged all the borders of the land.

You have made the nation grow, Lord, you have made the nation grow. You have expanded our borders of the land, and we honored you.

16 Yahweh, in trouble they have visited you. They poured out a prayer when your chastening was on them.

Lord, when we were suffering we came to you, pouring out our prayers like whispers as you disciplined us.

17 Just as a woman with child, who draws near the time of her delivery, is in pain and cries out in her pangs, so we have been before you, Yahweh.

Just as a pregnant woman giving birth tosses about and cries out in pain, that's what we were like in your presence, Lord.

18 We have been with child. We have been in pain. We gave birth, it seems, only to wind. We have not worked any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

However, even though we became pregnant and we tossed about in pain, we gave birth to nothing but air. We did not bring about the salvation of the earth, and the people of the world have not become alive.

19 Your dead shall live. Their dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth will cast out the departed spirits.

But those who died in you, Lord, will live! Their bodies will rise again! Wake up, and sing for joy, you people sleeping in the dust, for the dew you receive is like the dew of the morning giving life to those in the grave.

20 Come, my people, enter into your rooms, and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself for a little moment, until the indignation is past.

My people, go inside your homes and close your doors behind you. Hide there for a little while until the fury has passed.

21 For, behold, Yahweh comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth also will disclose her blood, and will no longer cover her slain.

Watch out! The Lord is coming from where he lives to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will reveal the blood that has been shed on it; the earth won't hide those who have been killed any no longer.”