Isaiah 26:1-11

A day is coming when this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “The city is a stronghold for us! The Lord’s salvation, like inner and outer walls, makes it secure. Open the gates and let a righteous, faith-filled people enter in. Perfect, absolute peace surrounds those whose imaginations are consumed with you; they confidently trust in you. Yes, trust in the Lord YAHWEH forever and ever! For Yah, the Lord God, is your Rock of Ages! He knocks down the high and mighty, and the lofty city he humbles and levels down to the dust, to be trampled down by the feet of the poor and exploited.” The path of the righteous is smooth and level; God, the Just One, you make a clear path for them. Yes, we will follow your ways, Lord YAHWEH, and entwine our hearts with yours, for the fame of your name is all that we desire. At night I yearn for you with all my heart; in the morning my spirit reaches out to you. When you display your judgments on the earth, people learn the ways of righteousness. But when mercy is shown to scoundrels, they still aren’t able to learn righteousness. Even in a land of integrity, they still do wrong, for they ignore the great majesty of the Lord YAHWEH. Lord YAHWEH, you lift your mighty hand, but they do not see it. Let them witness how much you love your people and be ashamed. Let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them.