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Isaiah 26
New International Reader's Version
Isaiah 26
New International Reader's Version
Another Song of Praise
26 At that time a song will be sung in the land of Judah. It will say,
“We have a strong city.
God’s saving power surrounds it
like walls and towers.
2 Open its gates
so that those who do what is right can enter.
They are the people who remain faithful to God.
3 Lord, you will give perfect peace
to those who commit themselves to be faithful to you.
That’s because they trust in you.
4 “Trust in the Lord forever.
The Lord himself is the Rock.
The Lord will keep us safe forever.
5 He brings down those who are proud.
He pulls down cities that have high walls.
They fall down flat on the ground.
He throws them down to the dust.
6 The feet of those who were treated badly stomp on them.
Those who were poor walk all over them.”
7 The path of godly people is level.
You are the God who does what is right.
You make their way smooth.
8 Lord, we are living the way your laws command us to live.
We are waiting for you to act.
We want your honor and fame to be known.
9 My heart longs for you at night.
My spirit longs for you in the morning.
You will come and judge the earth.
Then the people of the world will learn to do what is right.
10 Sometimes grace is shown to sinful people.
But they still don’t learn to do what is right.
They keep on doing evil even in a land where others are honest and fair.
They don’t have any respect for the majesty of the Lord.
11 Lord, you have raised your hand high to punish them.
But they don’t even see it.
Let them see how much you love your people.
Then they will be put to shame.
Let the fire you are saving for your enemies burn them up.
12 Lord, you give us peace.
You are the one who has done everything we’ve accomplished.
13 Lord, you are our God.
Other masters besides you have ruled over us.
But your name is the only one we honor.
14 Those other masters are now dead.
They will never live again.
Their spirits won’t rise from the dead.
You punished them and destroyed them.
You wiped out all memory of them.
15 Lord, you have made our nation grow.
You have made it larger.
You have gained glory for yourself.
You have increased the size of our land.
16 Lord, when your people were suffering, they came to you.
When you punished them,
they could barely whisper a prayer.
17 Lord, you made us like a woman who is about to have a baby.
She groans and cries out in pain.
18 We were pregnant and groaned with pain.
But nothing was born.
We didn’t bring your saving power to the earth.
And the people of the world have not come to life.
19 Lord, your people who have died will live again.
Their bodies will rise from the dead.
Let those who lie in the grave
wake up and shout for joy.
You give life, Lord, like the dew of the morning.
So the earth will give up its dead people.
20 My people, go into your houses.
Shut the doors behind you.
Hide yourselves for a little while.
Do it until the Lord’s anger is over.
21 He is coming from the place where he lives.
He will punish the people of the earth for their sins.
The blood spilled on the earth will be brought out into the open.
The ground will no longer hide those who have been killed.
Isaiah 26
New International Version
Isaiah 26
New International Version
A Song of Praise
26 In that day(A) this song will be sung(B) in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city;(C)
God makes salvation
its walls(D) and ramparts.(E)
2 Open the gates(F)
that the righteous(G) nation may enter,
the nation that keeps faith.
3 You will keep in perfect peace(H)
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust(I) in you.
4 Trust(J) in the Lord forever,(K)
for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock(L) eternal.
5 He humbles those who dwell on high,
he lays the lofty city low;
he levels it to the ground(M)
and casts it down to the dust.(N)
6 Feet trample(O) it down—
the feet of the oppressed,(P)
the footsteps of the poor.(Q)
7 The path of the righteous is level;(R)
you, the Upright One,(S) make the way of the righteous smooth.(T)
8 Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws,[a](U)
we wait(V) for you;
your name(W) and renown
are the desire of our hearts.
9 My soul yearns for you in the night;(X)
in the morning my spirit longs(Y) for you.
When your judgments(Z) come upon the earth,
the people of the world learn righteousness.(AA)
10 But when grace is shown to the wicked,(AB)
they do not learn righteousness;
even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil(AC)
and do not regard(AD) the majesty of the Lord.
11 Lord, your hand is lifted high,(AE)
but they do not see(AF) it.
Let them see your zeal(AG) for your people and be put to shame;(AH)
let the fire(AI) reserved for your enemies consume them.
12 Lord, you establish peace(AJ) for us;
all that we have accomplished you have done(AK) for us.
13 Lord our God, other lords(AL) besides you have ruled over us,
but your name(AM) alone do we honor.(AN)
14 They are now dead,(AO) they live no more;
their spirits(AP) do not rise.
You punished them and brought them to ruin;(AQ)
you wiped out all memory of them.(AR)
15 You have enlarged the nation, Lord;
you have enlarged the nation.(AS)
You have gained glory for yourself;
you have extended all the borders(AT) of the land.
16 Lord, they came to you in their distress;(AU)
when you disciplined(AV) them,
they could barely whisper(AW) a prayer.[b]
17 As a pregnant woman about to give birth(AX)
writhes and cries out in her pain,
so were we in your presence, Lord.
18 We were with child, we writhed in labor,
but we gave birth(AY) to wind.
We have not brought salvation(AZ) to the earth,
and the people of the world have not come to life.(BA)
19 But your dead(BB) will live, Lord;
their bodies will rise—
let those who dwell in the dust(BC)
wake up and shout for joy—
your dew(BD) is like the dew of the morning;
the earth will give birth to her dead.(BE)
20 Go, my people, enter your rooms
and shut the doors(BF) behind you;
hide(BG) yourselves for a little while
until his wrath(BH) has passed by.(BI)
21 See, the Lord is coming(BJ) out of his dwelling(BK)
to punish(BL) the people of the earth for their sins.
The earth will disclose the blood(BM) shed on it;
the earth will conceal its slain no longer.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 26:8 Or judgments
- Isaiah 26:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV) 
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.