16 Lord, they came to you in their distress;(A)
    when you disciplined(B) them,
    they could barely whisper(C) a prayer.[a]
17 As a pregnant woman about to give birth(D)
    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(E) to wind.
We have not brought salvation(F) to the earth,
    and the people of the world have not come to life.(G)

19 But your dead(H) will live, Lord;
    their bodies will rise—
let those who dwell in the dust(I)
    wake up and shout for joy—
your dew(J) is like the dew of the morning;
    the earth will give birth to her dead.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 26:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.

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