Isaiah 26

1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; salvation will he appoint 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 ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth truth may enter in.

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

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

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

4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is an everlasting rock.

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

5 For he hath brought 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.

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: thou that art up right dost direct the path of the just.

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

8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; to thy name and to thy memorial is 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 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 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 favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal wrongfully, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD.

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, thy hand is lifted up, yet they see not: but they shall see [thy] zeal for the people, and be ashamed; yea, fire shall devour thine 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, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou hast also wrought all our works for us.

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

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

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

15 Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation; thou art glorified: thou hast 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 have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer [when] thy chastening was upon 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, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been before thee, O 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 have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought 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 Thy dead shall live; my dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust: for thy dew is [as] the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast forth the dead.

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

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, the LORD cometh forth 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.

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.”