Isaiah 26

A Song of Trust in the Lord

1 In that day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah:“We have a strong city! God makes salvation its walls and defenses.”

2 Open the gates so the righteous nation, the one that keeps faith, can come in.

3 You will keep the person whose mind stays focused on You in perfect peace, because they trust in You.

4 Trust in the Lord forever, because the Lord Himself is the eternal Rock.

5 He brings down those who live high and proud, the lofty city He tears to the ground, smashing it down to the dust.

6 Feet trample it, the feet of the poor, the steps of the humble.

The Path of the Righteous

7 The path of the righteous is level; You, Lord, make the way of the just smooth.

8 Yes, Lord, we wait for You, for Your name and Your fame, because that is what our hearts desire.

9 My soul longs for You in the night; my spirit seeks You early in the morning. When Your judgments come to the earth, the people learn what righteousness really is.

10 But if You show grace to the wicked, they still will not learn what is right. Even in a land of justice, they will keep doing wrong and will not see the majesty of the Lord.

11 Lord, Your hand’s lifted high, but they do not see it. Let them see Your zeal for Your people and be ashamed. Let Your fire consume Your enemies.

God’s Peace and Power

12 Lord, You establish peace for us; everything we have accomplished, You made it happen.

13 Lord our God, other masters have ruled over us, but we remember only Your name.

14 They are dead now, gone forever, never to rise again. You punished them and wiped out every memory of them.

15 You have made the nation grow, Lord, You have honored Yourself and expanded the borders of the land.

A Cry for Deliverance

16 Lord, when we were hurting, we sought You. We whispered prayers when You disciplined us.

17 Like a pregnant woman writhing in pain, crying out during labor, that is how we were before You, Lord.

18 We were pregnant, but we gave birth to nothing but wind. We did not bring salvation to the earth or new life to the world’s people.

The Resurrection and God’s Judgment

19 But Your dead will live, Lord! Their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy! Your dew is like the dew of light, the earth will give birth to the dead.

20 Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you. Hide for a little while until the Lord’s anger has passed by.

21 Look, the Lord is coming out of His place to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will reveal the blood spilled on it and no longer cover the murdered.