Isaiah 26:3-13 (NIV) (2025)

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Listen to Isaiah 26:3-13

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³You will keep in perfect peace^(A)
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust^(B) in you.
⁴Trust^(C) in the Lord forever,^(D)
for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock^(E) eternal.
⁵He humbles those who dwell on high,
he lays the lofty city low;
he levels it to the ground^(F)
and casts it down to the dust.^(G)
⁶Feet trample^(H) it down—
the feet of the oppressed,^(I)
the footsteps of the poor.^(J)

⁷The path of the righteous is level;^(K)
you, the Upright One,^(L) make the way of the righteous smooth.^(M)
⁸Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws,^[a]^(N)
we wait^(O) for you;
your name^(P) and renown
are the desire of our hearts.
⁹My soul yearns for you in the night;^(Q)
in the morning my spirit longs^(R) for you.
When your judgments^(S) come upon the earth,
the people of the world learn righteousness.^(T)
¹⁰But when grace is shown to the wicked,^(U)
they do not learn righteousness;
even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil^(V)
and do not regard^(W) the majesty of the Lord.
¹¹Lord, your hand is lifted high,^(X)
but they do not see^(Y) it.
Let them see your zeal^(Z) for your people and be put to shame;^(AA)
let the fire^(AB) reserved for your enemies consume them.

¹²Lord, you establish peace^(AC) for us;
all that we have accomplished you have done^(AD) for us.
¹³Lord our God, other lords^(AE) besides you have ruled over us,
but your name^(AF) alone do we honor.^(AG)

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Footnotes

Isaiah 26:8 Or judgments

Cross references

Isaiah 26:3 : S Job 22:21; S Isa 9:6, 7; Php 4:7
Isaiah 26:3 : S 1Ch 5:20; S Ps 22:5; S 28:7; S Isa 12:2
Isaiah 26:4 : S Isa 12:2; 50:10
Isaiah 26:4 : S Ps 62:8
Isaiah 26:4 : S Ge 49:24
Isaiah 26:5 : S Isa 25:12; Eze 26:11
Isaiah 26:5 : S Isa 25:2
Isaiah 26:6 : S Isa 5:5
Isaiah 26:6 : Isa 49:26
Isaiah 26:6 : S Isa 3:15; S 14:30
Isaiah 26:7 : S Ps 26:12
Isaiah 26:7 : S Ps 25:8
Isaiah 26:7 : S Ex 14:19; Isa 40:4; 42:16
Isaiah 26:8 : S Dt 18:18; Ps 1:2; Isa 56:1; 64:5
Isaiah 26:8 : S Ps 37:9; S 130:5
Isaiah 26:8 : S Ps 145:2; S Isa 12:4
Isaiah 26:9 : S Ps 119:55
Isaiah 26:9 : Ps 42:1-3; 63:1; 78:34; Isa 55:6
Isaiah 26:9 : S 1Ch 16:14
Isaiah 26:9 : Mt 6:33
Isaiah 26:10 : Mt 5:45
Isaiah 26:10 : Isa 32:6; 59:7, 13
Isaiah 26:10 : S 1Sa 12:24; Isa 22:12-13; Jer 2:19; Hos 11:7; Jn 5:37-38; Ro 2:4
Isaiah 26:11 : S Ps 10:12
Isaiah 26:11 : Isa 18:3; 44:9, 18
Isaiah 26:11 : S Isa 9:7; Joel 2:18; Zec 1:14
Isaiah 26:11 : Mic 7:16
Isaiah 26:11 : S Isa 1:31; Heb 10:27
Isaiah 26:12 : S Ps 119:165; S Isa 9:6
Isaiah 26:12 : S Ps 68:28
Isaiah 26:13 : Isa 2:8; 10:5, 11
Isaiah 26:13 : S Isa 12:4
Isaiah 26:13 : Isa 42:8; 63:7

Listen to Isaiah 26:3-13

Close KJV

³Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

⁴Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:

⁵For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust.

⁶The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.

⁷The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.

⁸Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.

⁹With 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.

¹⁰Let 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.

¹¹Lord, 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.

¹²Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.

¹³O Lord our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.

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New International Version (NIV)

FAQs

What does Isaiah 26:3 teach us? ›

Isaiah says to those in the present that "perfect peace" is possible here and now. The Lord provides this to those whose minds are focused on the Lord through trusting in Him. Perfect peace is not a state without any anxiety at all, or one where life is always easy and perfect. The prophet is describing internal peace.

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What does steadfast mean in Isaiah 26:3? ›

To be steadfast of mind means our mind is fixed on something. Isaiah suggests that our mind is steadfast in trusting God. God isn't subject to our definition of him or our idea of him. When we trust in God, we learn about him and grow in our knowledge of him. He defines reality, not the other way around.

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How to keep your mind in perfect peace? ›

To be kept in this perfect peace, our mind must be stayed on the Lord. If our mind is stayed on ourselves, or our problems, or the problem people in our lives, or on anything else, we can't have this perfect peace. This is the heart that says with the Apostle Paul, “that I may know Him” (Philippians 3:10).

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What is Isaiah 26 talking about? ›

Isaiah prays for the Lord to show the world that He supports His people by consuming His enemies (Isaiah 26:7–11). In the end, the Lord will bring peace to Israel and Judah. After all, God is the source of every good thing they have ever accomplished.

What is the meaning of Isaiah 26 13? ›

Isaiah 26:13 Meaning and Commentary

Sin and Satan have the dominion over the Lord's people, in a state of unregeneracy; before the good work of grace is wrought in them, every lust is a lord, and is served and obeyed: and Satan is the god of this world by usurpation, and leads men captive at his will.

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What is the prayer for Isaiah 26 3? ›

Here is a prayer for peace: 'Lord, Your Word says, “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3 NKJV) Your Word says, “The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.” (Psalm 29:11 NIV) Your Word says, “Peace I leave with you; My ...

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How do I keep my mind steadfast on God? ›

We need to know His word, study it, memorize it, meditate on it, to fill our minds with it. The more we fill our mind with God's Word and truths, the more steadfast it becomes. We also keep a steadfast mind when we remain unshakable in believing what is true about God's character and God's love.

What is the NIV version of Isaiah 26 3? ›

3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. 4 Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal. 5 He humbles those who dwell on high, he lays the lofty city low; he levels it to the ground and casts it down to the dust.

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How to walk in the peace of God? ›

Run to God first. If you want the peace that surpasses all understanding, you have to let go fo your understanding and go with God's understanding. The more that you pray and the more that you intercede, the more you'll walk in peace. As you live a lifestyle of prayer, you begin to walk in discernment.

What is the lesson of Isaiah 26 3? ›

Isaiah 26:3 says that God gives peace to those whose minds are stayed on him. In other words, peace comes when we remember God.

What was Isaiah's key message? ›

God is both the judge and the savior. This means that God has a plan to make all things right in the end, and that a necessary part of that process is declaring what is not yet right. This is the message of Isaiah the prophet. The judgment of God declares what is broken; the promise of God is to heal.

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What is Isaiah telling us? ›

The prophecies of Isaiah are relevant in all generations, but they primarily point to the end of the age when Jesus Christ will return and set up the Kingdom of God. The warnings of the Day of the Lord and warnings to Israel and Judah are relevant for us today.

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What does the Bible mean by heaping burning coals on their head? ›

This is an instance of a connection between burning coals and repentance and cleansing. Like the Egyptian story, the story of Isaiah is a symbolic demonstration that repentance and cleansing had taken place.

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What does it mean the humble will inherit the earth? ›

The saying implies that those who forgo worldly power will be rewarded in the kingdom of heaven .

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What does it mean to be kept in perfect peace? ›

It means to be whole or complete. Perfect peace is complete peace and is guaranteed when we focus on Jesus. “Since we are surrounded by so many examples of faith, we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up.

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What does it mean to humble yourselves before the Lord? ›

To humble oneself is to acknowledge God as Lord and to obey as servant. In order to do so, then, the Son had to take “the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7). “We, as creatures, must obey our Creator, and he, as our brother, did the same.”

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