猶大的凱歌

26 到那日,猶大境內的人必唱這首歌:

「我們有一座堅城,
耶和華使祂的拯救成為保護我們的城牆和屏障。
打開城門,
讓忠信的公義之民進來。
你使堅信不移的人全然平安,
因為他們信靠你。
要永遠信靠耶和華,
因為耶和華是永遠屹立的磐石。
祂貶抑高傲的人,
拆毀他們高聳的城邑,
把它們夷為平地、化為塵土,
被困苦人的腳踐踏,被貧窮人的足踩踏。」

義人的道路是平坦的,
公正的主啊,你必修平義人所走的道路。
耶和華啊,我們等候你,
遵從你的法令,
我們心裡渴慕尊崇你的名。
在夜間,我思慕你,
我切切地尋求你。
你在世上施行審判的時候,
世人就知道何為公義。
10 你恩待惡人,
但他們仍然不學習行義。
即使在公義之地,
他們依然作惡,
全不把耶和華的威嚴放在眼裡。
11 你懲罰的手高高舉起,
他們卻看不見。
願他們因看見你向你子民所發的熱心而感到羞愧。
願你為敵人預備的火燒滅他們。
12 耶和華啊,你必賜我們平安,
因為我們所做的事都是你為我們成就的。
13 我們的上帝耶和華啊!
在你以外曾有別的主人管轄我們,
但我們只尊崇你的名。
14 他們都已死去,再不能復生,
逝去的靈魂不能回來。
因為你懲罰他們,毀滅他們,
使他們被人徹底遺忘。
15 耶和華啊,你增添我們的人口,
增添我們的人口,
擴張我們的疆界,
你得到了榮耀。

16 耶和華啊,我們是你的子民,
我們在危難中尋求你。
你管教我們的時候,
我們就向你祈求。
17 耶和華啊,我們在你面前呼求,
如臨產的婦人在陣痛中喊叫。
18 我們曾懷胎,痛苦呻吟,
但產下來的卻是一陣風。
我們沒有給世界帶來拯救,
也沒有給世上帶來生命。
19 然而,屬你的人必復活,
他們的屍體必站起來。
睡在塵土中的人必醒來歡唱!
你必使死人復活,
如清晨的甘露使大地恢復生機。
20 我的百姓啊,
回到你們的房子裡,
關上門躲藏一會兒,
等耶和華的憤怒平息。
21 看啊,耶和華要走出祂的居所,
懲罰世上犯罪的人。
大地必不再隱藏被殺之人的屍首,
必將所流的血顯露出來。

Yahweh Will Establish Peace

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

“We have a (B)strong city;
He sets up walls and ramparts for (C)salvation.
Open the (D)gates, that the (E)righteous nation may enter,
The one that keeps faithfulness.
The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect (F)peace
Because he trusts in You.
(G)Trust in Yahweh forever,
For in Yah—Yahweh Himselfwe have an everlasting (H)Rock.
For He has laid low those who settle on high, the [a](I)exalted city;
(J)He brings it low, He brings it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.
(K)The foot will trample it,
The feet of the (L)afflicted, the steps of the poor.”

The (M)way of the righteous is upright;
O Upright One, (N)make the path of the righteous level.
Indeed, while following the way of (O)Your judgments, O Yahweh,
We have hoped for You eagerly;
(P)Your name—the (Q)memory of You—is the desire of our souls.
(R)At night [b]my soul longs for You,
Indeed, [c]my spirit within me (S)seeks You earnestly;
For when the earth [d]experiences Your judgments,
The inhabitants of the world (T)learn righteousness.
10 Though the wicked is shown favor,
He does not (U)learn righteousness;
He (V)deals unjustly in the land of uprightness,
And does not perceive the majesty of Yahweh.

11 O Yahweh, Your hand is raised up high, yet they (W)do not behold it.
[e]They behold (X)Your zeal for the people and are put to shame;
Indeed, [f](Y)fire will devour Your adversaries.
12 Yahweh, You will establish (Z)peace for us,
Since You have also performed for us all our works.
13 O Yahweh our God, (AA)other masters besides You have ruled us;
But through You alone we (AB)bring Your name to remembrance.
14 (AC)The dead will not live; the [g]departed spirits will not rise;
Therefore You have (AD)visited and destroyed them,
And You have made all remembrance of them perish.
15 (AE)You have increased the nation, O Yahweh;
You have increased the nation, You are glorified;
You have (AF)extended all the borders of the land.
16 O Yahweh, they visited You (AG)in distress;
They [h]could only whisper a prayer;
Your chastening was upon them.
17 (AH)As the [i]woman with child draws near to the time to give birth,
She writhes and cries out in her pangs of labor,
Thus were we before You, O Yahweh.
18 We were [j]with child, we writhed in labor;
We (AI)gave birth, as it seems, only to wind.
We could not accomplish salvation for the earth,
And the (AJ)inhabitants of the world [k]were not born.
19 Your (AK)dead will live;
[l]Their corpses will rise.
You who dwell in the dust, (AL)awake and shout for joy,
For your dew is as the dew of the [m]dawn,
And the earth will [n]give birth to the [o]departed spirits.

20 Come, my people, (AM)enter into your rooms
And close your doors behind you;
Hide for a little [p](AN)while
Until (AO)indignation passes by.
21 For behold, Yahweh is about to (AP)come out from His place
To (AQ)visit the iniquity of the inhabitants of the earth;
And the earth will (AR)reveal her bloodshed
And will no longer cover those of hers who were killed.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 26:5 Or unassailable
  2. Isaiah 26:9 Lit with my soul I long
  3. Isaiah 26:9 Lit with my spirit...I seek
  4. Isaiah 26:9 Lit has
  5. Isaiah 26:11 Or Let them see...and be
  6. Isaiah 26:11 Or let the fire for Your adversaries devour them
  7. Isaiah 26:14 Or shades
  8. Isaiah 26:16 Lit sound forth a whisper
  9. Isaiah 26:17 Or pregnant woman
  10. Isaiah 26:18 Or pregnant
  11. Isaiah 26:18 Lit had never fallen
  12. Isaiah 26:19 As in some ancient versions; Heb My
  13. Isaiah 26:19 Lit lights
  14. Isaiah 26:19 Lit cause to fall
  15. Isaiah 26:19 Or shades
  16. Isaiah 26:20 Lit moment

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.