Isaiah 26

¹In that day will this song be made in the land of Judah: We have a strong town; he will make salvation our walls and towers.

²Let the doors be open, so that the upright nation which keeps faith may come in.

³The man whose heart is unmoved you will keep in peace, because his hope is in you.

⁴Let your hope be in the Lord for ever: for the Lord Jah is an unchanging Rock.

⁵For he has made low those who are lifted up, all the people of the town of pride: he makes it low, crushing it down to the earth; he makes it low in the dust.

⁶It will be crushed under the feet of the poor and the steps of those who are in need.

⁷The way of the good man is straight; the road of the upright is made smooth by you.

⁸We have been waiting for you, O Lord; the desire of our soul is for the memory of your name.

⁹In the night the desire of my soul has been for you; early will my spirit be searching for you; for when your punishments come on the earth, the people of the world will get the knowledge of righteousness.

¹⁰Even if you are kind to the evil-doer, he will not go after righteousness; even in the land of the upright he will still go on in his wrongdoing, and will not see the glory of the Lord.

¹¹Lord, your hand is lifted up, but they do not see: let them see ... yes, your haters will be burned up in the fire.

¹²Lord, you will give us peace: for all our works are the outcome of your purpose.

¹³O Lord, our God, other lords than you have had rule over us; but in you only is our salvation, and no other name will we take on our lips.

¹⁴The dead will not come back to life: their spirits will not come back to earth; for this cause you have sent destruction on them, so that the memory of them is dead.

¹⁵You have made the nation great, O Lord, you have made it great; glory is yours: you have made wide the limits of the land.

¹⁶Lord, in trouble our eyes have been turned to you, we sent up a prayer when your punishment was on us.

¹⁷As a woman with child, whose time is near, is troubled, crying out in her pain; so have we been before you, O Lord.

¹⁸We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have given birth to wind; no salvation has come to the earth through us, and no children have come into the world.

¹⁹Your dead will come back; their dead bodies will come to life again. Those in the dust, awaking from their sleep, will send out a song; for your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the shades.

²⁰Come, my people, into your secret places, and let your doors be shut: keep yourself safe for a short time, till his wrath is over.

²¹For the Lord is coming out of his place to send punishment on the people of the earth for their evil-doing: the earth will let the blood drained out on her be seen, and will keep her dead covered no longer.

Isaiah 26

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

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

³You will keep whoever's mind is steadfast in perfect peace, because he trusts in you.

⁴Trust in the Lord forever; for in Yah, the Lord, is an everlasting Rock.

⁵For he has brought down those who dwell on high, the lofty city. He lays it low. He lays it low even to the ground. He brings it even to the dust.

⁶The foot shall tread it down; Even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy."

⁷The way of the just is uprightness. You who are upright make the path of the righteous level.

⁸Yes, in the way of your judgments, the Lord, have we waited for you. Your name and your renown are the desire of our soul.

⁹With my soul have I desired you in the night. Yes, with my spirit within me will I seek you earnestly; for when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

¹⁰Let 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.

¹¹The Lord, your hand is lifted up, yet they do not see; but they will see your zeal for the people, and be disappointed. Yes, fire will consume your adversaries.

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

¹³The Lord our God, other lords besides you have had dominion over us, but by you only will we make mention of your name.

¹⁴The dead shall not live. The deceased shall not rise. Therefore have you visited and destroyed them, and caused all memory of them to perish.

¹⁵You have increased the nation, O Lord. You have increased the nation! You are glorified! You have enlarged all the borders of the land.

¹⁶Lord, in trouble they have visited you. They poured out a prayer when your chastening was on them.

¹⁷Like 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.

¹⁸We 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.

¹⁹Your dead shall live. My dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth will cast forth the dead.

²⁰Come, my people, enter into your chambers, and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself for a little moment, until the indignation is past.

²¹For, behold, 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.