Isaiah 26

1 Some day, [people in] Judah will sing this song: Our city [of Jerusalem] is strong! Yahweh protects our city; He is like [MET] a wall that surrounds it.

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 the gates of the city for people who are righteous; allow people who faithfully [obey Yahweh] to enter the city.

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

3 Yahweh, those who trust in you, those who firmly resolve to never doubt you, you will enable them to feel perfectly peaceful.

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

4 [So] always trust in Yahweh, because Yahweh, [our God], is forever [like] [MET] a huge rock [under which we are sheltered/protected/safe].

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

5 He humbles proud people and destroys cities whose people are arrogant. He causes those cities to collapse into the dust/dirt.

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 [When that happens], poor and oppressed people will trample on the ruins.

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

7 [But as for] righteous people, Yahweh, you do what is right; [it is as though] you cause the paths where they walk to be level and smooth.

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

8 Yahweh, by obeying your laws we show that we trust you to help us; and what we desire is that you will be honored/praised/exalted.

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

9 [All] through the night I [SYN] desire to know you better, and each morning I still want to be with you. [Only] when you come to judge [and punish] people who live on the earth will they learn to do what is right.

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 [But] your acting kindly toward wicked people does not cause them to do what is good. [Even] in places where people do what is right, the wicked people continue to do what is evil, and they do not realize that you, Yahweh, are great.

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 Yahweh, [it is as though] your fist is raised up [ready to strike them], but they do not realize that. Show them that you are very eager to help your people. If your enemies would realize that, they would be ashamed; allow your fire to burn them up [because they are] your enemies.

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 Yahweh, [we desire that] you will allow things to go well for us; everything that we have done is what you have enabled us to do.

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

13 Yahweh, our God, others have ruled over us, but you [MTY] are the only one whom we honor.

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

14 Those who ruled us are [now] gone; they are dead; their spirits have left this earth, and they will not become alive [again]. You punished those rulers and got rid of them, and people do not even remember them any more.

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 Yahweh, you have enabled our nation to become great; we are more in [now], and we have more land, [so we] thank/praise you.

You have increased the nation, Yahweh, you have increased the nation; you are honored; you have extended all the borders of the land.

16 Yahweh, when we were distressed, we asked you [to help us]; when you disciplined/punished us, we were able only to whisper when we prayed to you.

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

17 Like pregnant women writhe and cry out when they are giving birth, we suffered very much, too.

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 had severe pain, but nothing good resulted [MET] from it. We have not rescued our people [from being conquered by our enemies], and we have not given birth to children [who will rule the world correctly] (OR, not defeated the armies [that have attacked other nations].

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 But Yahweh’s people who have died will become alive [again], their corpses will become alive! Those whose bodies lie in graves will rise and shout joyfully! His light will be [like] dew that falls on his people who have died, who are [now] in the place where the dead people are, [and will cause them to become alive again].

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 But now, my people/fellow-citizens, go home and lock your doors! Hide for a short time, until [Yahweh] is no longer angry.

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 Listen to this: Yahweh will come from heaven to punish [all] the people on the earth for the sins that they have committed. People will be able to see [PRS] the (blood of those/the people) who have been murdered; their murderers will no longer be able to hide.

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.