| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1At that time this song will be sung in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city! The LORD's deliverance, like walls and a rampart, makes it secure. | 1In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. |
| 2Open the gates so a righteous nation can enter--one that remains trustworthy. | 2Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. |
| 3You keep completely safe the people who maintain their faith, for they trust in you. | 3You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. |
| 4Trust in the LORD from this time forward, even in Yah, the LORD, an enduring protector! | 4Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal. |
| 5Indeed, the LORD knocks down those who live in a high place, he brings down an elevated town; he brings it down to the ground, he throws it down to the dust. | 5He humbles those who dwell on high, he lays the lofty city low; he levels it to the ground and casts it down to the dust. |
| 6It is trampled underfoot by the feet of the oppressed, by the soles of the poor." | 6Feet trample it down-- the feet of the oppressed, the footsteps of the poor. |
| 7The way of the righteous is level, the path of the righteous that you make is straight. | 7The path of the righteous is level; you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth. |
| 8Yes, as your judgments unfold, O LORD, we wait for you. We desire your fame and reputation to grow. | 8Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. |
| 9I look for you during the night, my spirit within me seeks you at dawn, for when your judgments come upon the earth, those who live in the world learn about justice. | 9My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. |
| 10If the wicked are shown mercy, they do not learn about justice. Even in a land where right is rewarded, they act unjustly; they do not see the LORD's majesty revealed. | 10But when grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and do not regard the majesty of the LORD. |
| 11O LORD, you are ready to act, but they don't even notice. They will see and be put to shame by your angry judgment against humankind, yes, fire will consume your enemies. | 11LORD, your hand is lifted high, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame; let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them. |
| 12O LORD, you make us secure, for even all we have accomplished, you have done for us. | 12LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us. |
| 13O LORD, our God, masters other than you have ruled us, but we praise your name alone. | 13LORD our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone do we honor. |
| 14The dead do not come back to life, the spirits of the dead do not rise. That is because you came in judgment and destroyed them, you wiped out all memory of them. | 14They are now dead, they live no more; their spirits do not rise. You punished them and brought them to ruin; you wiped out all memory of them. |
| 15You have made the nation larger, O LORD, you have made the nation larger and revealed your splendor, you have extended all the borders of the land. | 15You have enlarged the nation, LORD; you have enlarged the nation. You have gained glory for yourself; you have extended all the borders of the land. |
| 16O LORD, in distress they looked for you; they uttered incantations because of your discipline. | 16LORD, they came to you in their distress; when you disciplined them, they could barely whisper a prayer. |
| 17As when a pregnant woman gets ready to deliver and strains and cries out because of her labor pains, so were we because of you, O LORD. | 17As a pregnant woman about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain, so were we in your presence, LORD. |
| 18We were pregnant, we strained, we gave birth, as it were, to wind. We cannot produce deliverance on the earth; people to populate the world are not born. | 18We were with child, we writhed in labor, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth, and the people of the world have not come to life. |
| 19Your dead will come back to life; your corpses will rise up. Wake up and shout joyfully, you who live in the ground! For you will grow like plants drenched with the morning dew, and the earth will bring forth its dead spirits. | 19But your dead will live, LORD; their bodies will rise-- let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy-- your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead. |
| 20Go, my people! Enter your inner rooms! Close your doors behind you! Hide for a little while, until his angry judgment is over! | 20Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. |
| 21For look, the LORD is coming out of the place where he lives, to punish the sin of those who live on the earth. The earth will display the blood shed on it; it will no longer cover up its slain. | 21See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed on it; the earth will conceal its slain no longer. |
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