1Til den tid vil man i Judas land synge en lovsang til Herren: Vores by er godt befæstet, Herren selv er dens mure og volde.2Luk portene op for et retskaffent folk, som holder fast ved troen på Gud.3De, som stoler på Herren, skal bo der i fred.4Stol altid på Herren, for han er den evige klippe.5Han nedstyrter alle de stolte, knuser de knejsende byer, jævner dem med jorden og smider dem i støvet,6så de trampes ned af de undertryktes fødder.7De retskafne vandrer uden at snuble, for Herren baner vej for dem.8Herre, vi ønsker at gøre din vilje, vi ønsker af hjertet at ære dit navn.9Om natten længes min sjæl efter dig, min ånd søger dig hele tiden. Når din dom rammer jorden, vil folk forstå, hvad retfærdighed er.10Viser du nåde mod de gudløse, lærer de ikke at gøre det gode. De kan bo i et land med retfærdighed uden at fatte Herrens storhed.11Herre, de lytter ikke til dine trusler, ser ikke din hånd, som er parat til slag. Vis dem din nidkærhed for dit folk, så de med skam erkender din magt, mens dine fjender fortæres af ilden.12Herre, lad din fred hvile over os. Alt, hvad vi har udført, har du jo gjort.13Herre, vor Gud, andre har hersket over os, men kun dig vil vi anerkende og ære.14De andre herskere er døde og borte, de kommer ikke til live igen. Din straf ramte dem, og de blev udryddet. De huskes ikke mere.15Herre, du har gjort os til et talrigt folk og udvidet vore grænser. Derved har du vist din storhed.16Herre, i vores fortvivlelse søgte vi dig, hviskede vore bønner, mens du straffede os.17Herre, vi var som en fødende kvinde, der vrider sig i smerte.18Ja, vi vred os i fødselsveer, men intet kom der ud af det. Vi kunne ikke selv redde vores land. Intet fødtes af vore anstrengelser.19Men ét ved vi: De, som hører dig til, skal leve, deres legemer skal opstå på ny. De, der ligger begravet i jorden, skal engang vågne og juble. Som duggen indvarsler dagens lys, vil Herren lade sine døde se livets lys.
Israels befrielse
20Mit folk, gå hjem og lås jeres døre. Skjul jer for en kort tid, indtil Gud i sin vrede har taget sig af jeres fjender.21Se, Herren kommer fra Himlen for at straffe jordens folk for deres synd. De mord, som blev begået i det skjulte, skal afsløres, for jorden kan ikke længere dække over de dræbte.
1In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. (Es 27,2; Es 60,18)2Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. (Salm 118,19)3You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. (Es 30,15)4Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.5For he has humbled the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city. He lays it low, lays it low to the ground, casts it to the dust. (Es 25,12)6The foot tramples it, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy.” (Es 25,4)7The path of the righteous is level; you make level the way of the righteous. (1.Sam 2,9; Salm 37,23)8In the path of your judgments, O Lord, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. (2.Mos 3,15)9My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. (2.Krøn 33,12; Es 26,16)10If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly and does not see the majesty of the Lord. (Salm 73,3)11O Lord, your hand is lifted up, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed. Let the fire for your adversaries consume them. (Salm 21,9; Es 5,12; Es 33,14; Mika 5,9)12O Lord, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works. (Es 9,7; Mika 5,5)13O Lord our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone we bring to remembrance. (2.Kong 16,3; 2.Kong 18,4; Salm 20,7; Es 2,8; Es 2,20)14They are dead, they will not live; they are shades, they will not arise; to that end you have visited them with destruction and wiped out all remembrance of them.15But you have increased the nation, O Lord, you have increased the nation; you are glorified; you have enlarged all the borders of the land. (Es 9,3; Es 54,2)16O Lord, in distress they sought you; they poured out a whispered prayer when your discipline was upon them. (Es 37,1; Hos 5,15)17Like a pregnant woman who writhes and cries out in her pangs when she is near to giving birth, so were we because of you, O Lord; (Es 13,8)18we were pregnant, we writhed, but we have given birth to wind. We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth, and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen. (Es 26,17)19Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead. (Ez 37,12; Dan 12,2; Hos 13,14; Hos 14,5)20Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. (Es 10,25)21For behold, the Lord is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain. (Es 24,5; Mika 1,3)