Isaiah 26

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

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 him in peace, in peace whose thoughts are fixed on you, 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 the LORD forever; for in YAH, the LORD, 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 to the ground. He casts it 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 feet of the poor tramples it down, the footsteps of the needy."

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

7 The way of the righteous is level. O Just One, you make the path of the righteous smooth.

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 path of your judgments, O LORD, have we 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 have I desired you in the night. Yes, my spirit within me will seek you early, 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 the LORD'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 LORD, your hand is lifted up, yet they do not see; they see the zeal of the people, and are ashamed. 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 LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have also worked all our works for us.

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

13 LORD our God, other lords besides you have had dominion over us, but by you only will we make mention of 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, and the departed spirits shall not rise. Therefore have you 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 LORD. 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 LORD, in trouble they sought 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 Like 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, LORD.

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; my dead bodies shall rise. Awake and shout for joy, you who dwell in the dust; for your dew is like the dew of the dawn, and the earth shall bring forth 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 chambers, 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, look, the LORD comes forth 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.”