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26 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. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth faith may enter in. [a]Thou wilt keep him [b]in perfect peace, whose [c]mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in Jehovah for ever; for in [d]Jehovah, even Jehovah, is an [e]everlasting rock. 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. The foot shall tread it down; even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy. The way of the just is [f]uprightness: thou that art upright dost [g]direct the path of the just.

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. 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 [h]thy zeal for the people, and be put to shame; yea, [i]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 [j]They are dead, they shall not live; they are [k]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; [l]thou hast enlarged all the borders of the land.

16 Jehovah, in trouble have they [m]visited thee; they poured out a [n]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 [o]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; [p]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 [q]herbs, and the earth shall cast forth [r]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.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 26:3 Or, A stedfast mind thou keepest in perfect peace, because it etc.
  2. Isaiah 26:3 Hebrew peace, peace.
  3. Isaiah 26:3 Or, imagination
  4. Isaiah 26:4 Hebrew Jah.
  5. Isaiah 26:4 Or, a rock of ages
  6. Isaiah 26:7 Or, a right way; the path of the just thou directest aright
  7. Isaiah 26:7 Or, level
  8. Isaiah 26:11 Or, and be put to shame, in their envy at the people
  9. Isaiah 26:11 Or, the fire of thine adversaries shall devour them
  10. Isaiah 26:14 Or, The dead live not, the deceased rise not
  11. Isaiah 26:14 Or, shades. Hebrew Rephaim.
  12. Isaiah 26:15 Or, thou hast removed it far unto all the ends of the earth
  13. Isaiah 26:16 Or, looked for
  14. Isaiah 26:16 Hebrew whisper.
  15. Isaiah 26:17 Or, at thy presence
  16. Isaiah 26:18 Or, neither have inhabitants of the world been born
  17. Isaiah 26:19 Or, light
  18. Isaiah 26:19 Or, the shades. Hebrew Rephaim.

A Song of Praise

26 In that day(A) this song will be sung(B) in the land of Judah:

We have a strong city;(C)
    God makes salvation
    its walls(D) and ramparts.(E)
Open the gates(F)
    that the righteous(G) nation may enter,
    the nation that keeps faith.
You will keep in perfect peace(H)
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust(I) in you.
Trust(J) in the Lord forever,(K)
    for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock(L) eternal.
He humbles those who dwell on high,
    he lays the lofty city low;
he levels it to the ground(M)
    and casts it down to the dust.(N)
Feet trample(O) it down—
    the feet of the oppressed,(P)
    the footsteps of the poor.(Q)

The path of the righteous is level;(R)
    you, the Upright One,(S) make the way of the righteous smooth.(T)
Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws,[a](U)
    we wait(V) for you;
your name(W) and renown
    are the desire of our hearts.
My soul yearns for you in the night;(X)
    in the morning my spirit longs(Y) for you.
When your judgments(Z) come upon the earth,
    the people of the world learn righteousness.(AA)
10 But when grace is shown to the wicked,(AB)
    they do not learn righteousness;
even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil(AC)
    and do not regard(AD) the majesty of the Lord.
11 Lord, your hand is lifted high,(AE)
    but they do not see(AF) it.
Let them see your zeal(AG) for your people and be put to shame;(AH)
    let the fire(AI) reserved for your enemies consume them.

12 Lord, you establish peace(AJ) for us;
    all that we have accomplished you have done(AK) for us.
13 Lord our God, other lords(AL) besides you have ruled over us,
    but your name(AM) alone do we honor.(AN)
14 They are now dead,(AO) they live no more;
    their spirits(AP) do not rise.
You punished them and brought them to ruin;(AQ)
    you wiped out all memory of them.(AR)
15 You have enlarged the nation, Lord;
    you have enlarged the nation.(AS)
You have gained glory for yourself;
    you have extended all the borders(AT) of the land.

16 Lord, they came to you in their distress;(AU)
    when you disciplined(AV) them,
    they could barely whisper(AW) a prayer.[b]
17 As a pregnant woman about to give birth(AX)
    writhes and cries out in her pain,
    so were we in your presence, Lord.
18 We were with child, we writhed in labor,
    but we gave birth(AY) to wind.
We have not brought salvation(AZ) to the earth,
    and the people of the world have not come to life.(BA)

19 But your dead(BB) will live, Lord;
    their bodies will rise—
let those who dwell in the dust(BC)
    wake up and shout for joy—
your dew(BD) is like the dew of the morning;
    the earth will give birth to her dead.(BE)

20 Go, my people, enter your rooms
    and shut the doors(BF) behind you;
hide(BG) yourselves for a little while
    until his wrath(BH) has passed by.(BI)
21 See, the Lord is coming(BJ) out of his dwelling(BK)
    to punish(BL) the people of the earth for their sins.
The earth will disclose the blood(BM) shed on it;
    the earth will conceal its slain no longer.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 26:8 Or judgments
  2. Isaiah 26:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.