1In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city. God makes salvation its walls and its defences."
2Open the gates, so that the righteous nation that keeps the truth may come in.
3You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind rests on you, because he trusts in you.
4Trust in the LORD for ever, for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.
5He brings down those who live on high. The proud city he lays low; he lays it low, right to the ground; he brings it down to the dust.
6The foot will trample it down, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy.
7The way of the just is straight. You, most upright, make the path of the just level.
8Yes, LORD, in the way of your judgments we have waited for you. Our soul longs for your name and for the memory of you.
9With my soul I have longed for you in the night. Yes, with my spirit within me I will seek you early. For when your judgments are in the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.
10Let favour be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness. In the land of uprightness he will act unjustly, and he will not see the majesty of the LORD.
11LORD, when your hand is lifted up, they do not see it. But they will see, and be ashamed of their envy of your people. Yes, the fire kept for your enemies will burn them up.
12LORD, you will appoint peace for us, for you have also done all our works for us.
13LORD our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us; but by you only will we speak of your name.
14They are dead, they will not live. They have passed away, they will not rise. So you punished them and destroyed them, and made all memory of them perish.
15You have made the nation greater, LORD, you have made the nation greater. You are glorified. You had pushed its borders far out, to all the ends of the earth.
16LORD, in trouble they have come to you. They poured out a prayer when your correction was on them.
17Like a woman with child, when her time to give birth is near, who is in pain and cries out in her pangs, so we have been in your sight, LORD.
18We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were given birth to wind. We have brought no deliverance to the earth, and the people of the world have not fallen.
19Your dead men will live; together with my dead body they will rise. Awake and sing, you who live in the dust, for your dew is like the dew of the morning plants, and the earth will give up the dead.
20Come, my people, go into your rooms, and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself for a little while, until the anger has passed by.
21For look, the LORD is coming out of his place to punish the people of the earth for their sin. The earth will uncover the blood shed on her, and will no longer cover her slain.