Isaiah Chapter 26

1 At that time people will sing this song in Judah: We have a strong city with strong walls and defenses. But the Lord gives us our salvation.

2 Open the gates for the good people to enter. They are God's faithful followers.

3 Lord, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you.

4 So trust in the Lord always, because in the Lord Yah you have a place of safety forever.

Isaiah Chapter 26

5 But the Lord will destroy the proud city and punish those who live there. He will throw that high city down to the ground. It will fall into the dust.

6 Then poor and humble people will walk on those ruins.

7 Honesty is the path good people follow. They follow the path that is straight and true. And, God, you make that way smooth and easy to follow.

Isaiah Chapter 26

8 But, Lord, we are waiting for your way of justice. We want to honor you and your name.

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

10 Evil people will not learn to do good, even if you show them only kindness. They will still do wrong, even if they live in a good world. They never see the Lord's greatness.

Isaiah Chapter 26

11 Lord, your arm is raised to punish them, but they don't see it. Show them how strong your love is for your people. Then those who are evil will be ashamed. Yes, your fire will destroy your enemies.

12 Lord, you have succeeded in doing everything we tried to do, so give us peace.

13 Lord, you are our God, but in the past, we followed other lords. We belonged to other masters, but now we want people to remember only one name�yours.

Isaiah Chapter 26

14 Those dead lords will not come to life. Those ghosts will not rise from death. You decided to destroy them, and you destroyed everything that makes us think about them.

15 You helped the nation you love. You made our nation grow bigger and brought honor to yourself.

16 Lord, people remember you when they are in trouble. So because of your punishment, we called out to you.

Isaiah Chapter 26

17 Lord, because of you we were in pain, like a woman giving birth, who struggles and cries out when it is time.

18 But we struggled in pain for nothing. We give birth only to wind. We did nothing to save the land. No one was born to live in the world.

19 But the Lord says, "Your people have died, but they will live again. The bodies of my people will rise from death. Dead people in the ground, stand and be happy! The dew covering you is like the dew sparkling in the light of a new day. It shows that a new time is coming, when the earth will give up the dead who are in it."

Isaiah Chapter 26

20 My people, go into your rooms and lock your doors. Hide in there for a short time until the Lord's anger is finished.

21 Look! The Lord is coming out from his place to judge the people of the world for the bad things they have done. The earth will reveal the blood that has been spilled on it. It will no longer hide the proof of those murders.

Isaiah Chapter 26