Isaiah 26

A Song of Praise to God

1 At that time people will sing this song in Judah:
We have a strong city. God protects us with its strong walls and defenses.

2 Open the gates, and the good people will enter, those who follow God.

3 You, Lord, give true peace to those who depend on you, because they trust you.

4 So, trust the Lord always, because he is our Rock forever.

5 He will destroy the proud city, and he will punish the people living there.
He will bring that high city down to the ground and throw it down into the dust.

6 Then those who were hurt by the city will walk on its ruins; those who were made poor by the city will trample it under their feet.

7 The path of life is level for those who are right with God; Lord, you make the way of life smooth for those people.

8 But, Lord, we are waiting for your way of justice.
Our souls want to remember you and your name.

9 My soul wants to be with you at night, and my spirit wants to be with you at the dawn of every day.
When your way of justice comes to the land, people of the world will learn the right way of living.

10 Evil people will not learn to do good even if you show them kindness.
They will continue doing evil, even if they live in a good world; they never see the Lord’s greatness.

11 Lord, you are ready to punish those people, but they do not see that.
Show them your strong love for your people. Then those who are evil will be ashamed.
Burn them in the fire you have prepared for your enemies.

12 Lord, all our success is because of what you have done, so give us peace.

13 Lord, our God, other masters besides you have ruled us, but we honor only you.

14 Those masters are now dead; their ghosts will not rise from death.
You punished and destroyed them and erased any memory of them.

15 Lord, you multiplied the number of your people; you multiplied them and brought honor to yourself.
You made the borders of the land wide.

16 Lord, people remember you when they are in trouble; they say quiet prayers to you when you punish them.

17 Lord, when we are with you, we are like a woman giving birth to a baby; she cries and has pain from the birth.

18 In the same way, we had pain. We gave birth, but only to wind.
We don’t bring salvation to the land or make new people for the world.

19 Your people have died, but they will live again; their bodies will rise from death.
You who lie in the ground, wake up and be happy!
The dew covering you is like the dew of a new day; the ground will give birth to the dead.

Judgment: Reward or Punishment

20 My people, go into your rooms and shut your doors behind you.
Hide in your rooms for a short time until God’s anger is finished.

21 The Lord will leave his place to punish the people of the world for their sins.
The earth will show the blood of the people who have been killed; it will not cover the dead any longer.

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.2 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth faith may enter in.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee.4 Trust ye in Jehovah for ever; for in Jehovah, even Jehovah, is an everlasting 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.6 The foot shall tread it down; even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.7 The way of the just is uprightness: thou that art upright dost direct the path of the just.8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Jehovah, have we waited for thee; to thy name, even to thy memorial name, is the desire of our soul.9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee earnestly: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.10 Let favor be showed 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 Jehovah.11 Jehovah, thy hand is lifted up, yet they see not: but they shall see thy zeal for the people, and be put to shame; yea, fire shall devour thine adversaries.12 Jehovah, thou wilt ordain peace for us; for thou hast also wrought all our works for us.13 O Jehovah our God, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us; but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.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 remembrance of them to perish.15 Thou hast increased the nation, O Jehovah, thou hast increased the nation; thou art glorified; thou hast enlarged all the borders of the land.16 Jehovah, in trouble have they visited thee; they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.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 we have been before thee, O Jehovah.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.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.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.21 For, behold, Jehovah 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.