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.

At that time, this will be the song that is sung in the land of Judah: “Ours is a strong city! Its walls and defenses are our salvation!

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 so the nation who follows the right can come in, the nation that stays faithful.

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

You will keep in complete peace those who keep their minds focused on you, because they trust 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 the Lord forever, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

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

He brings down those who live so high and mighty; he demolishes the proud city with its high walls, bringing it down to the ground, into the dust.

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

The poor tread it underfoot; the oppressed walk on top of it.

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.

You God, do what is right, and you straighten out the way for those who live right; you smooth out their path.

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, we follow your instructions, Lord, we put our hope in you. What we most want is to remember you and your wonderful character.

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 look for you in the night; deep inside me I long for you. When your laws are shown to the earth, then the people of the world learn what is right.

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.

Though grace is shown to the wicked, they don't learn to do right. Even in a country where people do what's right, they continue to do evil and they don't think about how great the Lord is.

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.

Lord, you are holding your hand up, but they don't see it. Let them see your passionate commitment for your people, and be embarrassed; may the fire reserved for your enemies destroy 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.

Lord, you give us peace and prosperity; everything we've achieved you have done for us.

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

Lord our God, there have been other lords besides you who have ruled us, but you are the only one we worship.

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 again; they will not rise from the grave. Lord, you punished them and destroyed them—even wiping out every memory about them.

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 made the nation grow, Lord, you have made the nation grow. You have expanded our borders of the land, and we honored you.

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.

Lord, when we were suffering we came to you, pouring out our prayers like whispers as you disciplined us.

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

Just as a pregnant woman giving birth tosses about and cries out in pain, that's what we were like in your presence, 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].

However, even though we became pregnant and we tossed about in pain, we gave birth to nothing but air. We did not bring about the salvation of the earth, and the people of the world have not become alive.

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].

But those who died in you, Lord, will live! Their bodies will rise again! Wake up, and sing for joy, you people sleeping in the dust, for the dew you receive is like the dew of the morning giving life to those in the grave.

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

My people, go inside your homes and close your doors behind you. Hide there for a little while until the fury has passed.

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.

Watch out! The Lord is coming from where he lives to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will reveal the blood that has been shed on it; the earth won't hide those who have been killed any no longer.”