Isaiah 26

Isaiah sings a song of the strong city -- salvation is appointed for walls and bulwarks. The righteous nation that keeps the truth shall enter in. The LORD is the everlasting rock who brings down the lofty city. Isaiah longs for the LORD in the night and declares that the dead shall live and the earth shall cast out the dead.

v	King James Version	Modern English
1	In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.	In that day this song shall be sung in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city. God appoints salvation as walls and ramparts.
2	Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.	Open the gates, so the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
3	Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.	You keep Him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because He trusts in You.
4	Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:	Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD JEHOVAH is an everlasting rock.
5	For he bringeth 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.	For He brings down those who dwell on high; He lays the lofty city low — lays it low to the ground, casts it to the dust.
6	The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.	The foot shall trample it — the feet of the poor and the steps of the humble.
7	The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.	The path of the righteous is level. You, who are upright, make the way of the righteous smooth.
8	Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.	In the path of Your judgments, O LORD, we wait for You. Your name and Your remembrance are 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 early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.	My soul yearns for You in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks You. For when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
10	Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD.	If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness. Even in the land of uprightness He deals corruptly and does not see the majesty of the LORD.
11	LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.	O LORD, Your hand is lifted up, but they do not see it. Let them see Your zeal for Your people and be ashamed. Let fire for Your adversaries consume them.
12	LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.	O LORD, You will ordain peace for us, for You have also done all our works for us.
13	O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.	O LORD our God, other lords besides You have ruled over us, but we acknowledge Your name alone.
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 their memory to perish.	The dead do not live; departed spirits do not rise. You have punished them and destroyed them; You have wiped out all memory of them.
15	Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.	You have increased the nation, O LORD; You have increased the nation. You are glorified. You have extended all the borders of the land.
16	LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.	O LORD, in distress they sought You; they poured out a whispered prayer when Your discipline was on 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 have we been in thy sight, O LORD.	Like a pregnant woman who writhes and cries out in her pangs when she is near to giving birth, so were we before You, O LORD.
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.	We were pregnant; we writhed — but we gave birth to wind. We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth, and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen.
19	Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.	Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For Your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.
20	Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.	Come, my people, enter Your rooms and shut Your doors behind You. Hide for a little while until the fury has passed by.
21	For, behold, the LORD cometh 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.	For the LORD is coming out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will disclose the blood shed on her; she will no longer cover her slain.