A Victory Song
261On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah.
We have a strong city.
God sets up salvation as its walls and ramparts.
2Open the gates,
so that the righteous nation may enter,
the nation that guards the truth.[] 3You preserve perfect peace for the person
whose resolve is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.
4Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord, yes the Lord[] is the eternal Rock. 5He humbles those who live in a high place,
in a high, secure city.
He brings it down!
He brings it down to the ground!
He throws it down into the dust!
6It is trampled down
by the feet of the poor,
by the soles of the feet of the helpless.
A Prayer for Blessing
7The way of the righteous is level and smooth.
You are righteous.[] You smooth the path for the righteous. 8Truly, Lord, we have waited for you on the path of your judgments.
Your name and your renown are what our soul desires.
9My soul longs for you during the night.
My spirit within me looks for you early in the morning,
because when your judgments are known on earth,
the inhabitants of the world will learn what righteousness is.
10Although grace is shown to the wicked,
they do not learn righteousness.
They will continue to act unjustly even in a righteous land.
They will not recognize the Lord's majesty.
11
Lord, your hand is raised, ready to strike,
but they do not see it.
But they will see your zeal for the people,
and they will be put to shame.
May fire consume your enemies.
12O Lord, you establish peace for us.
Everything we have done, you have accomplished for us.
13O Lord our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us,
but we honor only your name.
14They are dead. They will not live again.
Their departed spirits will not return.
You have dealt with them and destroyed them.
You have wiped out all memory of them.
15You have enlarged the nation, O Lord.
You have enlarged the nation!
You are glorified!
You have extended all the borders of the land.
16O Lord, they appealed to you in distress.
They whispered a prayer as you disciplined them.
17Just as a pregnant woman nearing the time of her delivery
writhes and cries out in her pain,
so we have done before you, O Lord.
18We have been in pain
as if we were about to give birth to a child,
but we gave birth only to wind.
We have not brought salvation for the earth.
We have not given birth to people who can inhabit the world.[] 19But your dead ones will live.
Their[] dead bodies will rise. Wake up and sing for joy,
you who dwell in the dust,
because your dew will glisten like morning light,
and the earth will give up the spirits of the dead.[] 