16 Lord, they went to you in their distress;(A)
they poured out whispered prayers
because your discipline fell on them.[a]
17 As a pregnant woman about to give birth
writhes and cries out in her pains,(B)
so we were before you, Lord.
18 We became pregnant, we writhed in pain;
we gave birth to wind.
We have won no victories on earth,
and the earth’s inhabitants have not fallen.

19 Your dead will live; their bodies[b] will rise.(C)
Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust!
For you will be covered with the morning dew,[c]
and the earth will bring out the departed spirits.

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Footnotes

  1. 26:16 Hb obscure
  2. 26:19 Lit live; my body they
  3. 26:19 Lit For your dew is a dew of lights

16 Lord, they[a] came to you in distress;
    they poured out their secret[b] prayer
        when your chastenings were[c] afflicting[d] them.
17 Just as a pregnant woman writhes
    and cries out during her labor
when she is about to give birth,
    so were we because of you, Lord.
18 We were pregnant, writhing in pain,
    but we gave birth only to wind.
We have not won your[e] victory on earth,
nor have the inhabitants of the world been born.”

The Resurrection of the Dead

19 “But your dead will live; their bodies will rise.
Those who live in the dust will wake up and shout for joy![f]
For your dew is like the dew of dawn,
and the earth will give birth to the dead.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 26:16 So 1QIsaa MT; MTmss LXXmss read we; LXX reads I remembered you
  2. Isaiah 26:16 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsab MT read out a magical
  3. Isaiah 26:16 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read your chastening was
  4. Isaiah 26:16 Lit. upon
  5. Isaiah 26:18 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT lacks your
  6. Isaiah 26:19 So 1QIsaa; MT reads Wake up and shout for joy, you; LXX reads Those in the dust will rejoice, for