Isaiah 26
26
Judah’s Praise and Prayer for Deliverance.#This text is a mixture of praise for the salvation that will take place, a confession of Judah’s inability to achieve deliverance on its own, and earnest prayer that God may quickly bring about the longed-for salvation. 1On that day this song shall be sung in the land of Judah:
“A strong city#Strong city: Jerusalem, the antithesis of the “city of chaos” (24:10); see note on 24:1–27:13. have we;
he sets up victory as our walls and ramparts.#Is 60:18.
2Open up the gates
that a righteous nation may enter,
one that keeps faith.#Ps 118:19–20.
3With firm purpose you maintain peace;
in peace, because of our trust in you.”#Is 32:17–18; Ps 112:7.
4Trust in the Lord forever!
For the Lord is an eternal Rock.#Is 17:10; 30:29; Ps 62:8.
5He humbles those who dwell on high,
the lofty city he brings down,
Brings it down to the ground,
levels it to the dust.#Is 25:11–12; 32:19.
6The feet of the needy trample on it—
the feet of the poor.
7The way of the just is smooth;
the path of the just you make level.#Ps 23:3–4; Prv 11:3, 5.
8The course of your judgments, Lord, we await;
your name and your memory are the desire of our souls.
9My soul yearns for you at night,
yes, my spirit within me seeks you at dawn;
When your judgment comes upon the earth,
the world’s inhabitants learn justice.#Ps 63:2.
10The wicked, when spared, do not learn justice;
in an upright land they act perversely,
and do not see the majesty of the Lord.#Is 5:12; Eccl 8:11.
11Lord, your hand is raised high,
but they do not perceive it;
Let them be put to shame when they see your zeal for your people:
let the fire prepared for your enemies consume them.#Is 9:6; 30:27; 37:32.
12Lord, you will decree peace for us,
for you have accomplished all we have done.#Jer 29:11; Phil 2:13.
13Lord, our God, lords other than you have ruled us;
only because of you can we call upon your name.
14Dead they are, they cannot live,
shades that cannot rise;
Indeed, you have punished and destroyed them,
and wiped out all memory of them.
15You have increased the nation, Lord,
you have increased the nation, have added to your glory,
you have extended far all the boundaries of the land.#Is 54:2–3.
16Lord, oppressed by your punishment,
we cried out in anguish under your discipline.#Hos 5:15.
17As a woman about to give birth
writhes and cries out in pain,
so were we before you, Lord.#Mi 4:10.
18We conceived and writhed in pain,
giving birth only to wind;
Salvation we have not achieved for the earth,
no inhabitants for the world were born.#Is 37:3.
19#This verse refers not to resurrection of the dead, but to the restoration of the people; cf. Ez 37. The population of Judah was radically reduced by the slaughter and deportations that the historical disasters of the late eighth and seventh centuries B.C. brought upon the country. In this context, a major concern for the future was for an increase in the population, a rebirth of the nation’s life. But your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise!
Awake and sing, you who lie in the dust!
For your dew is a dew of light,
and you cause the land of shades to give birth.#Ez 37:5–14; Dn 12:2; Hos 6:2.
The Lord’s Response#The time of wrath for Judah would soon be over, and the just punishment of its enemies would begin (cf. Hb 2:1–3).
20Go, my people, enter your chambers,
and close the doors behind you;
Hide yourselves for a brief moment,
until the wrath is past.#Is 10:25.
21See, the Lord goes forth from his place,
to punish the wickedness of the earth’s inhabitants;
The earth will reveal the blood shed upon it,
and no longer conceal the slain.#Gn 4:10; Jb 16:18; Ps 106:38; Mi 1:3.
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Isaiah 26: NABRE
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Isaiah 26
26
A Song of Victory
1The time is coming when the people of Judah will sing this song:
“Our city#26.1 city: Probably Jerusalem. is protected.
The Lord is our fortress,
and he gives us victory.
2Open the city gates
for a law-abiding nation
that is faithful to God.
3The Lord gives perfect peace
to those whose faith is firm.
4So always trust the Lord
because he is forever
our mighty rock.#26.4 mighty rock: See the note at 17.10.
5God has put down our enemies
in their mountain city#26.5 our enemies … city: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
and rubbed it in the dirt.
6Now the poor and abused
trample all over that city.”
The Lord Can Be Trusted
7Our Lord, you always do right,
and you make the path smooth
for those who obey you.
8You are the one we trust
to bring about justice;
above all else we want
your name to be honored.
9Throughout the night,
my heart searches for you,
because your decisions
show everyone on this earth
how to live right.
10Even when the wicked
are treated with mercy
in this land of justice,
they do wrong and are blind
to your glory, our Lord.
11 #
He 10.27. Your hand is raised and ready
to punish them,
but they don't see it.
Put them to shame!
Show how much you care for us
and throw them into the fire
intended for your enemies.
12You will give us peace, Lord,
because everything we have done
was by your power.
13Others have ruled over us
besides you, our Lord God,
but we obey only you.
14Those enemies are now dead
and can never live again.
You have punished them—
they are destroyed,
completely forgotten.
15Our nation has grown
because of you, our Lord.
We have more land than before,
and you are honored.
The Lord Gives Life to the Dead
16When you punished our people,
they turned and prayed
to you, our Lord.#26.16 Lord: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 16.
17Because of what you did to us,
we suffered like a woman
about to give birth.
18But instead of having a child,
our terrible pain
produced only wind.
We have won no victories,
and we have no descendants
to take over the earth.
19Your people will rise to life!
Tell them to leave their graves
and celebrate with shouts.
You refresh the earth
like morning dew;
you give life to the dead.
20Go inside and lock the doors,
my people.
Hide there for a little while,
until the Lord
is no longer angry.
The Earth and the Sea Will Be Punished
21The Lord will come out
to punish everyone on earth
for their sins.
And when he does,
those who did violent crimes
will be known and punished.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.