1 Song of Trust in God’s Protection In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:“We have a strong city;He sets up salvation as walls and ramparts.
2 Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter,The one thatLit keeps trustworthiness.remains faithfulandtrustworthy.
3 You will keep inLit peace, peace, a Hebrew idiom of emphasis.perfectandconstant peacethe onewhose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in bothThe Hebrew word for inclination became a technical term in Jewish tradition, and the rabbis frequently referred to the “evil inclination” much in the same sense as the sin nature. They also recognized a “good inclination,” which the righteous choose to follow, and urged people to make their good inclination king over the evil inclination.inclination and character],Because he trustsandtakes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation].
4 Trust [confidently] in the Lforever [He is your fortress, your shield, your banner],For the LGis an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].
5 For He has thrown down the [arrogant] ones who dwell on high, the loftyandinaccessible city;He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He hurls it to the dust.
6 The foot will trample it,Eventhe feet of the suffering, and the steps of the helpless.”
7 The way of the righteous [those in right-standing with God—living in moral and spiritual integrity] is smoothandlevel;O Upright One, make a level path for the justandrighteous.
8 Indeed, in the path of Your judgments, O L,We have waited expectantly for You;Your name, even Your memory, is the desireanddeep longing of our souls.
9 In the night my soul longs for You [O L],Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently;For [only] when Your judgments are experienced on the earthWill the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
10 Thoughthe wicked is shown compassionandfavor,He does not learn righteousness;In the land of uprightness he deals unjustly,And refuses to see the majesty of the L.
11 ThoughYour hand is lifted up [to strike], O L, the wicked do not see it.Let them see Your zeal forYourpeople and be put to shame;Indeed, let the fire reserved for Your enemies consume them.
12 L, You will establish peace for us,Since You have also performed for us all that we have done.
13 O Lour God, other masters besides You have ruled over us;But through You alone we confess Your name.
14 The [wicked] dead will not live [again], the spirits of the dead will not riseandreturn;Therefore You have punished and destroyed them,And You have wiped out every memory of them [every trace of them].
15 You have increased the nation, O L;You have increased the nation, You are glorified;You have extended all the borders of the land.
16 O L, they sought You in distress;They managed only a prayerful whisperWhen Your discipline was upon them.
17 As a woman with child approachesthe timeto give birth,She is in painandstruggles and cries out in her labor,So we were before You, O L.
18 We have been with child, we have twistedandstruggledin labor;We gave birth, as it seems,onlyto wind.We could not accomplish salvation for the earth,Nor were inhabitants of the worldLit fallen.born.
19 Your dead will live;So with some ancient versions; MT reads My dead body.Their dead bodies will rise.You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy!For your dew is a dew of [celestial] light [heavenly, supernatural],And the earth will give birth to the spirits of the dead.
20 Come, my people, enter your chambersAnd shut your doors behind you;Hide for a little whileUntil the [L’]Lit curse.wrath is past.
21 Listen carefully, the Lis about to come out of His [heavenly] placeTo punish the inhabitants of the earth for their wickedness [their sin, their injustice, their wrongdoing];The earth will reveal the [innocent] blood shed upon herAnd will no longer cover her slain.