Chapter 26

Song of Trust in God’s Protection

1 aIn that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

“We have a bstrong city;

He sets up walls and ramparts for 1csecurity.

2 “Open the agates, that the brighteous nation may enter,

The one that 1remains faithful.

3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect apeace,

Because he trusts in You.

4 “aTrust in the Lord forever,

For in 1God the Lord, we have an everlasting bRock.

5 “For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the aunassailable city;

bHe lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.

6 “aThe foot will trample it,

The feet of the bafflicted, the steps of the helpless.”

7 The away of the righteous is smooth;

O Upright One, bmake the path of the righteous level.

8 Indeed, while following the way of aYour judgments, O Lord,

We have waited for You eagerly;

bYour name, even Your cmemory, is the desire of our souls.

9 aAt night 1my soul longs for You,

Indeed, 2my spirit within me bseeks You diligently;

For when the earth 3experiences Your judgments

The inhabitants of the world clearn righteousness.

10 Though the wicked is shown favor,

He does not alearn righteousness;

He bdeals unjustly in the land of uprightness,

And does not perceive the majesty of the Lord.

11 O Lord, Your hand is lifted up yet they ado not see it.

1They see bYour zeal for the people and are put to shame;

Indeed, 2cfire will devour Your enemies.

12 Lord, You will establish apeace for us,

Since You have also performed for us all our works.

13 O Lord our God, aother masters besides You have ruled us;

But through You alone we 1bconfess Your name.

14 aThe dead will not live, the 1departed spirits will not rise;

Therefore You have bpunished and destroyed them,

And You have wiped out all remembrance of them.

15 aYou have increased the nation, O Lord,

You have increased the nation, You are glorified;

You have bextended all the borders of the land.

16 O Lord, they sought You ain distress;

They 1could only whisper a prayer,

Your chastening was upon them.

17 aAs the pregnant woman approaches the time to give birth,

She writhes and cries out in her labor pains,

Thus were we before You, O Lord.

18 We were pregnant, we writhed in labor,

We agave birth, as it seems, only to wind.

We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth,

Nor were binhabitants of the world 1born.

19 Your adead will live;

1Their corpses will rise.

You who lie in the dust, bawake and shout for joy,

For your dew is as the dew of the 2dawn,

And the earth will 3give birth to the 4departed spirits.

20 Come, my people, aenter into your rooms

And close your doors behind you;

Hide for a little 1bwhile

Until cindignation 2runs its course.

21 For behold, the Lord is about to acome out from His place

To bpunish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity;

And the earth will creveal her bloodshed

And will no longer cover her slain.