Isaiah (Douay: Isaias) 26

¹ In that day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city. God appoints salvation for walls and bulwarks.

² Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter: the one which keeps faith.

³ You will keep whoever’s mind is steadfast in perfect peace, because he trusts in you.

⁴ Trust in the LORD forever; for in the LORD, the LORD, is an everlasting Rock.

⁵ For he has brought down those who dwell on high, the lofty city. He lays it low. He lays it low even to the ground. He brings it even to the dust.

⁶ The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor and the steps of the needy.”

⁷ The way of the just is uprightness. You who are upright make the path of the righteous level.

⁸ Yes, in the way of your judgments, LORD, we have waited for you. Your name and your renown are the desire of our soul.

⁹ With my soul I have desired you in the night. Yes, with my spirit within me I will seek you earnestly; for when your judgments are on the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

¹⁰ Let favor be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness. In the land of uprightness he will deal wrongfully, and will not see the LORD’s majesty.

¹¹ LORD, your hand is lifted up, yet they don’t see; but they will see your zeal for the people and be disappointed. Yes, fire will consume your adversaries.

¹² LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have also done all our work for us.

¹³ LORD our God, other lords besides you have had dominion over us, but we will only acknowledge your name.

¹⁴ The dead shall not live. The departed spirits shall not rise. Therefore you have visited and destroyed them, and caused all memory of them to perish.

¹⁵ You have increased the nation, O LORD. You have increased the nation! You are glorified! You have enlarged all the borders of the land.

¹⁶ LORD, in trouble they have visited you. They poured out a prayer when your chastening was on them.

¹⁷ Just as a woman with child, who draws near the time of her delivery, is in pain and cries out in her pangs, so we have been before you, LORD.

¹⁸ We have been with child. We have been in pain. We gave birth, it seems, only to wind. We have not worked any deliverance on the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

¹⁹ Your dead shall live. Their dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth will cast out the departed spirits.

²⁰ Come, my people, enter into your rooms, and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself for a little moment, until the indignation is past.

²¹ For, behold, the LORD comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth also will disclose her blood, and will no longer cover her slain.

¹ IIn that day shall this canticle be sung in the land of Juda. Sion the city of our strength a saviour, a wall and a bulwark shall be set therein.

² Open ye the gates, and let the just nation, that keepeth the truth, enter in.

³ The old error is passed away: thou wilt keep peace: peace, because we have hoped in thee.

⁴ You have hoped in the Lord for evermore, in the Lord God mighty for ever.

⁵ For he shall bring down them that dwell on high, the high city he shall lay low. He shall bring it down even to the ground, he shall pull it down even to the dust.

⁶ The foot shall tread it down, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy.

⁷ The way of the just is right, the path of the just is right to walk in.

⁸ And in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, we have patiently waited for thee: thy name, and thy remembrance are the desire of the soul.

⁹ My soul hath desired thee in the night: yea, and with my spirit within me in the morning early I will watch to thee. When thou shalt do thy judgments on the earth, the inhabitants of the world shall learn justice.

¹⁰ Let us have pity on the wicked, but he will not learn justice: in the land of the saints he hath done wicked things, and he shall not see the glory of the Lord.

¹¹ Lord, let thy hand be exalted, and let them not see: let the envious people see, and be confounded: and let fire devour thy enemies.

¹² Lord, thou wilt give us peace: for thou hast wrought all our works for us.

¹³ O Lord our God, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us, only in thee let us remember thy name.

¹⁴ Let not the dead live, let not the giants rise again: therefore hast visited and destroyed them, and hast destroyed all their memory.

¹⁵ Thou hast been favourable to the nation, O Lord, thou hast been favourable to the nation: art thou glorified? thou hast removed all the ends of the earth far off.

¹⁶ Lord, they have sought after thee in distress, in the tribulation of murmuring thy instruction was with them.

¹⁷ As a woman with child, when she draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs: so are we become in thy presence, O Lord.

¹⁸ We have conceived, and been as it were in labour, and have brought forth wind: we have not wrought salvation on the earth, therefore the inhabitants of the earth have not fallen.

¹⁹ Thy dead men shall live, my slain shall rise again: awake, and give praise, ye that dwell in the dust: for thy dew is the dew of the light: and the land of the giants thou shalt pull down into ruin.

²⁰ Go, my people, enter into thy chambers, shut thy doors upon thee, hide thyself a little for a moment, until the indignation pass away.

²¹ For behold the Lord will come out of his place, to visit the iniquity of the inhabitant of the earth against him: and the earth shall disclose her blood, and shall cover her slain no more.