26 A song of the faithful, wherein is declared, in what consisteth the salvation of the Church, and wherein they ought to trust.

In that day shall [a]this song be sung in the land of Judah, We have a strong city: [b]salvation shall God set for walls and bulwarks.

[c]Open ye the gates that the righteous nation, which keepeth the truth, may enter in.

By an assured [d]purpose wilt thou preserve perfect peace, because they trusted in thee.

Trust in the Lord forever: for in the Lord God is strength forevermore.

For he will bring down them that dwell on high: [e]the high city he will abase: even unto the ground will he cast it down, and bring it unto dust.

The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the [f]poor, and the steps of the needy.

The way of the just is righteousness: thou wilt make equal the righteous path of the just.

Also we, O Lord, have waited for thee in the way of thy [g]judgments: the desire of our soul is to thy Name, and to the remembrance of thee.

With my soul have I desired thee in the night, and with my spirit within me will I seek thee in the morning: for seeing thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world shall learn [h]righteousness.

10 Let mercy [i]be showed to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he do wickedly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord.

11 O Lord, they will not behold thine high hand: but they shall see it, and be confounded with [j]the zeal of the people, and the fire of thine [k]enemies shall devour them.

12 Lord unto us thou wilt ordain peace: for thou also hast wrought all our works for us.

13 O Lord our God, other [l]lords beside thee, have ruled us, but we will remember thee only, and thy Name.

14 The [m]dead shall not live, neither shall the dead arise, because thou hast visited and scattered them, and destroyed all their memory.

15 Thou hast increased [n]the nation, O Lord: thou hast increased the nation: thou art made glorious, thou hast enlarged all the coasts of the earth.

16 Lord, in trouble have they [o]visited thee: they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.

17 Like as a woman with child, that draweth near to the travail, is in sorrow, and crieth in her pains, so have we been in thy [p]sight, O Lord.

18 We have conceived, we have born in pain, as though we should have brought forth [q]wind: there was no help in the earth, neither did the inhabitants of [r]the world fall.

19 [s]Thy dead men shall live: even with my body shall they rise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy [t]dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

20 Come, my people: [u]enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors after thee: hide thyself for a very little while, until the indignation pass over.

21 For lo, the Lord cometh out of his place, to visit the iniquity of the inhabitants of the earth upon them: and the earth shall disclose her [v]blood, and shall no more hide her slain.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 26:1 This song was made to comfort the faithful when their captivity should come, assuring them also of their deliverance, for the which they should sing this song.
  2. Isaiah 26:1 God’s protection and defense shall be sufficient for us.
  3. Isaiah 26:2 He assureth the godly to return after the captivity to Jerusalem.
  4. Isaiah 26:3 Thou hast decreed so, and thy purpose cannot be changed.
  5. Isaiah 26:5 There is no power so high that can let God, when he will deliver his.
  6. Isaiah 26:6 God will set the poor afflicted over the power of the wicked.
  7. Isaiah 26:8 We have constantly aboade in the adversities wherewith thou had afflicted us.
  8. Isaiah 26:9 Meaning, that by afflictions men shall learn to fear God.
  9. Isaiah 26:10 The wicked though God show them evident signs of his grace, shall be never the better.
  10. Isaiah 26:11 Through envy and indignation against thy people.
  11. Isaiah 26:11 The fire and vengeance, wherewith thou dost destroy thine enemies.
  12. Isaiah 26:13 The Babylonians, which have not governed according to thy word.
  13. Isaiah 26:14 Meaning, that the reprobate, even in this life shall have the beginning of everlasting death.
  14. Isaiah 26:15 To wit, the company of the faithful by the calling of the Gentiles.
  15. Isaiah 26:16 That is, the faithful by the rods were moved to pray unto thee for deliverance.
  16. Isaiah 26:17 To wit, in extreme sorrow.
  17. Isaiah 26:18 Our sorrows had none end, neither did we enjoy the comfort that we looked for.
  18. Isaiah 26:18 The wicked and men without religion were not destroyed.
  19. Isaiah 26:19 He comforteth the faithful in their afflictions, showing them that even in death they shall have life: and that they should most certainly rise to glory, the contrary should come to the wicked, as verse 14.
  20. Isaiah 26:19 As herbs dead in winter flourisheth again by the rain in the springtime: so they that lie in the dust, shall rise up to joy, when they feel the dew of God’s grace.
  21. Isaiah 26:20 He exhorteth the faithful to be patient in their afflictions, and to wait upon God’s work.
  22. Isaiah 26:21 The earth shall vomit and cast out the innocent blood, which it hath drunk, that it may cry for vengeance against the wicked.

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.