| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 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, everyone in the land of Judah will sing this song: Our city is strong! We are surrounded by the walls of God’s salvation. |
| 2Open the gates so a righteous nation can enter--one that remains trustworthy. | 2Open the gates to all who are righteous; allow the faithful to enter. |
| 3You keep completely safe the people who maintain their faith, for they trust in you. | 3You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! |
| 4Trust in the LORD from this time forward, even in Yah, the LORD, an enduring protector! | 4Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD God is the eternal Rock. |
| 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 the proud and brings down the arrogant city. He brings it down to the dust. |
| 6It is trampled underfoot by the feet of the oppressed, by the soles of the poor." | 6The poor and oppressed trample it underfoot, and the needy walk all over it. |
| 7The way of the righteous is level, the path of the righteous that you make is straight. | 7But for those who are righteous, the way is not steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right, and you smooth out the path ahead of them. |
| 8Yes, as your judgments unfold, O LORD, we wait for you. We desire your fame and reputation to grow. | 8LORD, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name. |
| 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. | 9In the night I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek you. For only when you come to judge the earth will people learn what is right. |
| 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. | 10Your kindness to the wicked does not make them do good. Although others do right, the wicked keep doing wrong and take no notice of the LORD’s majesty. |
| 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. | 11O LORD, they pay no attention to your upraised fist. Show them your eagerness to defend your people. Then they will be ashamed. Let your fire consume your enemies. |
| 12O LORD, you make us secure, for even all we have accomplished, you have done for us. | 12LORD, you will grant us peace; all we have accomplished is really from you. |
| 13O LORD, our God, masters other than you have ruled us, but we praise your name alone. | 13O LORD our God, others have ruled us, but you alone are the one we worship. |
| 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. | 14Those we served before are dead and gone. Their departed spirits will never return! You attacked them and destroyed them, and they are long forgotten. |
| 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. | 15O LORD, you have made our nation great; yes, you have made us great. You have extended our borders, and we give you the glory! |
| 16O LORD, in distress they looked for you; they uttered incantations because of your discipline. | 16LORD, in distress we searched for you. We prayed beneath the burden of your discipline. |
| 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. | 17Just as a pregnant woman writhes and cries out in pain as she gives birth, 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, too, writhe in agony, but nothing comes of our suffering. We have not given salvation to the earth, nor brought life into the world. |
| 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 those who die in the LORD will live; their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy! For your life-giving light will fall like dew on your people in the place of the dead! Restoration for Israel |
| 20Go, my people! Enter your inner rooms! Close your doors behind you! Hide for a little while, until his angry judgment is over! | 20Go home, my people, and lock your doors! Hide yourselves for a little while until the LORD’s anger has passed. |
| 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. | 21Look! The LORD is coming from heaven to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will no longer hide those who have been killed. They will be brought out for all to see. |
|
