Isaiah 26:3-21 ▼

3 “The steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in Thee.

4 “Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.

5 “For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the unassailable city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.

6 “The foot will trample it, The feet of the afflicted, the steps of the helpless.”

7 The way of the righteous is smooth; O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.

8 Indeed, while following the way of Thy judgments, O LORD, We have waited for Thee eagerly; Thy name, even Thy memory, is the desire of our souls.

9 At night my soul longs for Thee, Indeed, my spirit within me seeks Thee diligently; For when the earth experiences Thy judgments The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

10 Though the wicked is shown favor, He does not learn righteousness; He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD.

11 O LORD, Thy hand is lifted up yet they do not see it. They see Thy zeal for the people and are put to shame; Indeed, fire will devour Thine enemies.

12 LORD, Thou wilt establish peace for us, Since Thou hast also performed for us all our works.

13 O LORD our God, other masters besides Thee have ruled us; But through Thee alone we confess Thy name.

14 The dead will not live, the departed spirits will not rise; Therefore Thou hast punished and destroyed them, And Thou hast wiped out all remembrance of them.

15 Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, Thou hast increased the nation, Thou art glorified; Thou hast extended all the borders of the land.

16 O LORD, they sought Thee in distress; They could only whisper a prayer, Thy chastening was upon them.

17 As the pregnant woman approaches the time to give birth, She writhes and cries out in her labor pains, Thus were we before Thee, O LORD.

18 We were pregnant, we writhed in labor, We gave birth, as it were, only to wind. We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth Nor were inhabitants of the world born.

19 Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.

20 Come, my people, enter into your rooms, And close your doors behind you; Hide for a little while, Until indignation runs its course.

21 For behold, the LORD is about to come out from His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; And the earth will reveal her bloodshed, And will no longer cover her slain.