Discovery BoxIsaiah 26:9-10 
Context26:9 I 1 look for 2 you during the night,
my spirit within me seeks you at dawn,
for when your judgments come upon the earth,
those who live in the world learn about justice. 3
26:10 If the wicked are shown mercy,
they do not learn about justice. 4
Even in a land where right is rewarded, they act unjustly; 5
they do not see the Lord’s majesty revealed.
1 tn Heb “with my soul I.” This is a figure for the speaker himself (“I”).
2 tn Or “long for, desire.” The speaker acknowledges that he is eager to see God come in judgment (see vv. 8, 9b).
3 tn The translation understands צֶדֶק (tsedeq) in the sense of “justice,” but it is possible that it carries the nuance “righteousness,” in which case one might translate, “those who live in the world learn to live in a righteous manner” (cf. NCV).
4 tn As in verse 9b, the translation understands צֶדֶק (tsedeq) in the sense of “justice,” but it is possible that it carries the nuance “righteousness,” in which case one might translate, “they do not learn to live in a righteous manner.”
5 tn Heb “in a land of uprightness they act unjustly”; NRSV “they deal perversely.”
