Your study library, in one place. Bible Gateway Plus brings trusted resources together to help you understand what you’re reading. Free 7-day trial.
Log In/Sign Up

#
Isaiah 26
New King James Version

### A Song of Salvation

26 In (A)that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

“We have a strong city;
(B)God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks.
2 (C)Open the gates,
That the righteous nation which [a]keeps the truth may enter in.
3 You will keep him in perfect (D)peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
(E)For in Yah, the Lord, is [b]everlasting strength.
5 For He brings [c]down those who dwell on high,
(F)The lofty city;
He lays it low,
He lays it low to the ground,
He brings it down to the dust.
6 The foot shall [d]tread it down—
The feet of the poor
And the steps of the needy.”

7 The way of the just is uprightness;
(G)O Most Upright,
You [e]weigh the path of the just.
8 Yes, (H)in the way of Your judgments,
O Lord, we have (I)waited for You;
The desire of our soul is for Your name
And for the remembrance of You.
9 (J)With my soul I have desired You in the night,
Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early;
For when Your judgments are in the earth,
The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

10 (K)Let grace be shown to the wicked,
Yet he will not learn righteousness;
In (L)the land of uprightness he will deal unjustly,
And will not behold the majesty of the Lord.
11 Lord, when Your hand is lifted up, (M)they will not see.
But they will see and be ashamed
For [f]their envy of people;
Yes, the fire of Your enemies shall devour them.

12 Lord, You will establish peace for us,
For You have also done all our works [g]in us.
13 O Lord our God, (N)masters besides You
Have had dominion over us;
But by You only we make mention of Your name.
14 They are dead, they will not live;
They are deceased, they will not rise.
Therefore You have punished and destroyed them,
And made all their memory to (O)perish.
15 You have increased the nation, O Lord,
You have (P)increased the nation;
You are glorified;
You have expanded all the [h]borders of the land.

16 Lord, (Q)in trouble they have visited You,
They poured out a prayer when Your chastening was upon them.
17 As (R)a woman with child
Is in pain and cries out in her [i]pangs,
When she draws near the time of her delivery,
So have we been in Your sight, O Lord.
18 We have been with child, we have been in pain;
We have, as it were, [j]brought forth wind;
We have not accomplished any deliverance in the earth,
Nor have (S)the inhabitants of the world fallen.

19 (T)Your dead shall live;
Together with [k]my dead body they shall arise.
(U)Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust;
For your dew is like the dew of herbs,
And the earth shall cast out the dead.

### Take Refuge from the Coming Judgment

20 Come, my people, (V)enter your chambers,
And shut your doors behind you;
Hide yourself, as it were, (W)for a little moment,
Until the indignation is past.
21 For behold, the Lord (X)comes out of His place
To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity;
The earth will also disclose her [l]blood,
And will no more cover her slain.

#### Footnotes

1. Isaiah 26:2 Or remains faithful
2. Isaiah 26:4 Or Rock of Ages
3. Isaiah 26:5 low
4. Isaiah 26:6 trample
5. Isaiah 26:7 Or make level
6. Isaiah 26:11 Or Your zeal for the people
7. Isaiah 26:12 Or for us
8. Isaiah 26:15 Or ends
9. Isaiah 26:17 sharp pains
10. Isaiah 26:18 given birth to
11. Isaiah 26:19 So with MT, Vg.; Syr., Tg. their dead bodies; LXX those in the tombs
12. Isaiah 26:21 Or bloodshed

#### Cross references

1. Isaiah 26:1 : Is. 2:11; 12:1
2. Isaiah 26:1 : Is. 60:18
3. Isaiah 26:2 : Ps. 118:19, 20
4. Isaiah 26:3 : Is. 57:19; [Phil. 4:6, 7]
5. Isaiah 26:4 : Is. 12:2; 45:17
6. Isaiah 26:5 : Is. 25:11, 12
7. Isaiah 26:7 : Ps. 37:23
8. Isaiah 26:8 : Is. 64:5
9. Isaiah 26:8 : Is. 25:9; 33:2
10. Isaiah 26:9 : Ps. 63:6; Song 3:1; Is. 50:10; Luke 6:12
11. Isaiah 26:10 : Eccl. 8:12; [Rom. 2:4]
12. Isaiah 26:10 : Ps. 143:10
13. Isaiah 26:11 : Job 34:27; Ps. 28:5; Is. 5:12
14. Isaiah 26:13 : 2 Chr. 12:8
15. Isaiah 26:14 : Eccl. 9:5; Is. 14:22
16. Isaiah 26:15 : Is. 9:3
17. Isaiah 26:16 : Is. 37:3; Hos. 5:15
18. Isaiah 26:17 : Is. 13:8; [John 16:21]
19. Isaiah 26:18 : Ps. 17:14
20. Isaiah 26:19 : Is. 25:8; [Ezek. 37:1–14]
21. Isaiah 26:19 : [Dan. 12:2]; Hos. 13:14
22. Isaiah 26:20 : Ex. 12:22, 23; [Ps. 91:1, 4]
23. Isaiah 26:20 : [Ps. 30:5; Is. 54:7, 8; 2 Cor. 4:17]
24. Isaiah 26:21 : Mic. 1:3; [Jude 14]

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

#### Bible Gateway Recommends

NKJV, The Prayer Bible, Red Letter, Comfort Print
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $35.99
Save: $24.00 (40%)
Buy Now
NKJV, The Everyday Bible, Red Letter, Comfort Print: 365 Daily Readings Through the Whole Bible
Retail: $29.99
Our Price: $20.99
Save: $9.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV Study Bible, Full-Color, Comfort Print: The Complete Resource for Studying God’s Word
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, Gift and Award Bible, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version
Retail: $9.99
Our Price: $6.99
Save: $3.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, Chronological Study Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version
Retail: $49.99
Our Price: $34.99
Save: $15.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, 2nd Edition, Comfort Print: Growing in Knowledge and Understanding of God Through His Word
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
Buy Now
View more titles