Passage
LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.
Isaiah 26:11 (KJV)
Nearby Context
Isaiah 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
Isaiah 26:10 Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD.
Isaiah 26:11 LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.
Isaiah 26:12 LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.
Isaiah 26:13 O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "lord", "hand", "lifted", "shall", "ashamed", "envy", "people", and "fire". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lord" and "hand", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 10's "Let favour be shewed to the wicked..." into verse 12's "LORD thou wilt ordain peace for us...", so "lord" and "hand" belong inside that flow. In Isaiah context, the local focus is the Holy One of Israel, judgment and restoration, the servant of the LORD, and Zion's hope.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "lord" and "hand" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.