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.

In that day sung is this song in the land of Judah: 'We have a strong city, Salvation He doth make walls and bulwark.

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

Open ye the gates, that enter may a righteous nation, Preserving stedfastness.

3 You will keep him in peace, in peace whose thoughts are fixed on you, because he trusts in you.

An imagination supported Thou fortifiest peace — peace! For in Thee it is confident.

4 Trust in the LORD forever; for in YAH, the LORD, is an everlasting Rock.

Trust ye in Jehovah for ever, For in Jah Jehovah [is] a rock of ages,

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.

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,

6 The feet of the poor tramples it down, the footsteps of the needy."

Tread it down doth a foot, Feet of the poor — steps of the weak.

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

The path for the righteous [is] uprightness, O upright One, The path of the righteous Thou dost ponder.

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.

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.

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.

[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.

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.

The wicked findeth favour, He hath not learned righteousness, In a land of straightforwardness he dealeth perversely, And seeth not the excellency of Jehovah.

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.

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.

12 LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have also worked all our works for us.

O Jehovah, Thou appointest peace to us, For, all our works also Thou hast wrought 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.

O Jehovah our God, lords have ruled us besides Thee, Only, by Thee we make mention of Thy name.

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.

Dead — they live not, Rephaim, they rise not, Therefore Thou hast inspected and dost destroy them, Yea, thou destroyest all their memory.

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.

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.

16 LORD, in trouble they sought you. They poured out a prayer when your chastening was on them.

O Jehovah, in distress they missed Thee, They have poured out a whisper, Thy chastisement [is] on them.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

'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.

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.

Come, My people, enter into thy inner chambers, And shut thy doors behind thee, Hide thyself shortly a moment till the indignation pass over.

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.

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!'