Isaiah, 26

1. On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah: "A strong city have we; he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.

1. That day, this song will be sung in Judah: 'We have a fortress city, the walls and ramparts provide safety.

2. Open up the gates to let in a nation that is just, one that keeps faith.

2. Open the gates! Let the upright nation come in, the nation that keeps faith!

3. A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace; in peace, for its trust in you."

3. This is the plan decreed: you will guarantee peace, the peace entrusted to you.

4. Trust in the LORD forever! For the LORD is an eternal Rock.

4. Trust in Yahweh for ever, for Yahweh is a rock for ever.

5. He humbles those in high places, and the lofty city he brings down; He tumbles it to the ground, levels it with the dust.

5. He has brought low the dwellers on the heights, the lofty citadel; he lays it low, brings it to the ground, flings it down in the dust.

6. It is trampled underfoot by the needy, by the footsteps of the poor.

6. It will be trodden under foot, by the feet of the needy, the steps of the weak.'

7. The way of the just is smooth; the path of the just you make level.

7. The path of the Upright One is honesty; you smooth the honest way of the upright.

8. Yes, for your way and your judgments, O LORD, we look to you; Your name and your title are the desire of our souls.

8. Following the path of your judgements, Yahweh, we set our hopes in you, your name, your memory are all our soul desires.

9. My soul yearns for you in the night, yes, my spirit within me keeps vigil for you; When your judgment dawns upon the earth, the world's inhabitants learn justice.

9. At night my soul longs for you and my spirit within me seeks you out; for when your judgements appear on earth the inhabitants of the world learn what saving justice is.

10. The wicked man, spared, does not learn justice; in an upright land he acts perversely, and sees not the majesty of the LORD.

10. If pity is shown to the wicked without his learning what saving justice is, he will act wrongly in the land of right conduct and not see the majesty of Yahweh.

11. O LORD, your hand is uplifted, but they behold it not; Let them be shamed when they see your zeal for your people: let the fire prepared for your enemies consume them.

11. Yahweh, your hand is raised but they do not see! The antagonists of your people will look and grow pale; with your fiery wrath you will devour your enemies.

12. O LORD, you mete out peace to us, for it is you who have accomplished all we have done.

12. Yahweh, you will grant us peace, having completed all our undertakings for us.

13. O LORD, our God, other lords than you have ruled us; it is from you only that we can call upon your name.

13. Yahweh our God, other lords than you have ruled us but, loyal to you alone, we invoke your name.

14. Dead they are, they have no life, shades that cannot rise; For you have punished and destroyed them, and wiped out all memory of them.

14. The dead will not come back to life, the shadows will not rise again, for you have punished them, annihilated them, wiping out their very memory.

15. You have increased the nation, O LORD, increased the nation to your own glory, and extended far all the borders of the land.

15. You have made the nation larger, Yahweh, made the nation larger and won yourself glory, you have rolled back the frontiers of the country.

16. O LORD, oppressed by your punishment, we cried out in anguish under your chastising.

16. Yahweh, in distress they had recourse to you, they expended themselves in prayer, since your punishment was on them.

17. As a woman about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pains, so were we in your presence, O LORD.

17. As a pregnant woman near her time of delivery writhes and cries out in her pangs, so have we been, Yahweh, in your eyes:

18. We conceived and writhed in pain, giving birth to wind; Salvation we have not achieved for the earth, the inhabitants of the world cannot bring it forth.

18. we have been pregnant, we have writhed, but we have given birth only to wind: we have not given salvation to the earth, no inhabitants for the world have been brought to birth.

19. But your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise; awake and sing, you who lie in the dust. For your dew is a dew of light, and the land of shades gives birth.

19. Your dead will come back to life, your corpses will rise again. Wake up and sing, you dwellers in the dust, for your dew will be a radiant dew, but the earth will give birth to the shades.

20. Go, my people, enter your chambers, and close your doors behind you; Hide yourselves for a brief moment, until the wrath is past.

20. Go, my people, go to your private room, shut yourselves in. Hide yourselves a little while until the retribution has passed.

21. See, the LORD goes forth from his place, to punish the wickedness of the earth's inhabitants; The earth will reveal the blood upon her, and no longer conceal her slain.

21. For see, Yahweh emerges from his dwelling to punish the inhabitants of earth for their guilt; and the earth will reveal the blood shed on it and no longer hide its slain.