Isaiah 26:7

New American Standard Bible (1995)

The way of the righteous is smooth; O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The path of the righteous is level;you clear a straight path for the righteous.

Hebrew Names Version
The way of the just is uprightness: you that are upright do direct the path of the just.

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

English Standard Version
The path of the righteous is level; you make level the way of the righteous.

New American Standard Bible
The way of the righteous is smooth; O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.

New Century Version
The path of life is level for those who are right with God; Lord , you make the way of life smooth for those people.

Amplified Bible
The way of the righteous [those in right-standing with God—living in moral and spiritual integrity] is smooth and level; O Upright One, make a level path for the just and righteous.

World English Bible
The way of the just is uprightness: you that are upright do direct the path of the just.

Geneva Bible (1587)
The way of the iust is righteousnesse: thou wilt make equall the righteous path of the iust.

Legacy Standard Bible
The way of the righteous is upright;O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.

Berean Standard Bible
The path of the righteous is level; You clear a straight path for the righteous.

Contemporary English Version
Our Lord , you always do right, and you make the path smooth for those who obey you.

Complete Jewish Bible
The way of the righteous is level; Righteous One, you smooth the path for the righteous.

Darby Translation
The way of the just is uprightness: thou, the Upright, dost make the path of the just even.

Easy-to-Read Version
Honesty is the path good people follow. They follow the path that is straight and true. And God, you make that way smooth and easy to follow.

George Lamsa Translation
The way of the humble is straight; the path of the righteous is straight and level.

Good News Translation
Lord , you make the path smooth for good people; the road they travel is level.

Lexham English Bible
The way of the righteous is a straight path; you clear the level path of the righteous.

Literal Translation
The path for the just is uprightness. Upright One, level the track of the just.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thou (LORDE) cosidrest the path of ye rigtuous, whether it be right, whether the waye of ye rightuous be right.

American Standard Version
The way of the just is uprightness: thou that art upright dost direct the path of the just.

Bible in Basic English
The way of the good man is straight; the road of the upright is made smooth by you.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
The way of the just is straight; Thou, Most Upright, makest plain the path of the just.

King James Version (1611)
The way of the iust is vprightnesse: thou most vpright, doest weigh the path of the iust.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The path of equitie wylt thou graunt vnto the iust [O thou most righteous] thou shalt order the path of hym that is righteous.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
The way of the godly is made straight: the way of the godly is also prepared.

English Revised Version
The way of the just is uprightness: thou that art up right dost direct the path of the just.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The weie of a iust man is riytful, the path of a iust man is riytful to go.

Update Bible Version
The way of the just is uprightness: you that are upright direct the path of the just.

Webster's Bible Translation
The way of the just [is] uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.

New English Translation
The way of the righteous is level, the path of the righteous that you make is straight.

New King James Version
The way of the just is uprightness; O Most Upright, You weigh the path of the just.

New Living Translation
But for those who are righteous, the way is not steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right, and you smooth out the path ahead of them.

New Life Bible
The way of the man who is right with God is smooth. O Upright One, make the path straight of those who are right with You.

New Revised Standard
The way of the righteous is level; O Just One, you make smooth the path of the righteous.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The path of a righteous man, is, even, - O Upright One! the track of a righteous man, thou makest level.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The way of the just is right, the path of the just is right to walk in.

Revised Standard Version
The way of the righteous is level; thou dost make smooth the path of the righteous.

Young's Literal Translation
The path for the righteous [is] uprightness, O upright One, The path of the righteous Thou dost ponder.

THE MESSAGE
The path of right-living people is level. The Leveler evens the road for the right-living. We're in no hurry, God . We're content to linger in the path sign-posted with your decisions. Who you are and what you've done are all we'll ever want. Through the night my soul longs for you. Deep from within me my spirit reaches out to you. When your decisions are on public display, everyone learns how to live right. If the wicked are shown grace, they don't seem to get it. In the land of right living, they persist in wrong living, blind to the splendor of God .

Contextual Overview

⁵ "For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the unassailable city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust. ⁶ "The foot will trample it, The feet of the afflicted, the steps of the helpless." ⁷ The way of the righteous is smooth; O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.⁸ Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O LORD, We have waited for You eagerly; Your name, even Your memory, is the desire of our souls. ⁹ At night my soul longs for You, Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently; For when the earth experiences Your judgments The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. ¹⁰ Though the wicked is shown favor, He does not learn righteousness; He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD. ¹¹ O LORD, Your hand is lifted up yet they do not see it. They see Your zeal for the people and are put to shame; Indeed, fire will devour Your enemies.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

way: Isaiah 35:8, 1 Chronicles 29:17, Job 27:5, Job 27:6, Psalms 18:23-26, Proverbs 20:7, 2 Corinthians 1:12, Ephesians 2:10, 1 John 3:7, 1 John 3:10

most: 1 Samuel 2:2-4, Job 31:6, *marg. Psalms 1:6, Psalms 11:4, Psalms 11:7, Zephaniah 3:5, 1 Corinthians 4:5

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 2:3 - by him Psalms 18:25 - thou wilt Psalms 25:8 - upright Psalms 58:2 - weigh Proverbs 15:9 - he loveth Proverbs 16:2 - but Isaiah 30:18 - blessed Isaiah 56:1 - Keep Philippians 4:8 - are just

Cross-References

Genesis 12:13
"Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you."

Genesis 20:2
Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

Genesis 20:5
"Did he not himself say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this."

Genesis 24:16
The girl was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had had relations with her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up.

Genesis 26:12
Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the LORD blessed him,

Genesis 26:13
and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy;

Proverbs 29:25
The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted.

Matthew 10:28
"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,

Colossians 3:9
Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The way of the just [is] uprightness,.... Or, "the way for the just is uprightnesses" s, most upright; the way which is appointed for him, and which he is directed to walk in, is a way of righteousness and holiness, and in which he does walk; he walks uprightly, according to the rules of the word, becoming the Gospel of Christ, and worthy of his calling: or, it is "evennesses"; a most plain and even way, in which men, though fools, shall not err,

Isaiah 35:8 or, "the way" of the Lord "to the just is uprightnesses", or "evennesses"; most upright, or most even; there is no inequality in it, though sometimes so charged, Ezekiel 18:25 it is entirely agreeable to justice, equity, and truth; regular and even, and suited to all his perfections of wisdom, goodness, c. t:

thou most upright these words are addressed to God, and contain an appellation and description of him, who is upright, just, and true, and loves upright and righteous persons; so Kimchi and Ben Melech take the word to be in the vocative case, and as an address to God; though some render them, "he is upright" u; that is, the just man is upright, whose way is uprightness; but the former sense best agrees with what follows:

dost weigh the path of the just; observe, consider, and approve of it, as being according to rule, and agreeable to his mind and will, Psalms 1:6 or, "thou dost level" or "make even the path of the just" w; remove all impediments and obstructions out of it, direct his goings, order his steps, and cause him to walk in a straight way, wherein he shall not stumble, Jeremiah 31:9 and so this is a reason given why the way of the just is even, because it is made so by the Lord himself.

s אורח לצדיק מישרים "via justo rectitudines", Vatablus. t For this note, I am indebted to my learned, pious, and ingenious friend, the Rev. Mr. Hervey; see Theron and Aspasio, vol 2. Dialog. 13. p. 225. Ed 3. u ישר "rectus est", De Dieu. w תפלס "aequabis", Vatablus. So Ben Melech explains it by

יושר, making a thing plain and even.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The way of the just is uprightness - The Hebrew is literally, ‘The way to the just is uprightness;’ the word ‘way’ probably refers to God’s way, or his dealings with the righteous. The sentiment is, that his dealings with them are just; that though they are afflicted and oppressed, yet that his ways are right, and they will yet perceive it. This is language supposed to be used by the captive Jews after they had seen the proud city of Babylon taken, and after God had come forth to restore them to their own land. The word ‘uprightness’ in the original is in the plural number, but is often used in the sense of straightness Proverbs 23:31; Song of Solomon 7:10; of sincerity, or uprightness Song of Solomon 1:4; or of righteousness as a judge Psalms 9:9; Psalms 58:2; Psalms 99:4.

Thou most upright - Evidently an address to God, as being most just, and as having now evinced his uprightness in the deliverance of his people. The same epithet is applied to him in Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalms 25:8; 92:16.

Dost weigh the path of the just - The word used here (פלס pâlac) may mean to weigh as in a balance Psalms 58:3; but it may also mean, and does usually, to make straight or smooth; to beat a path; to make level Psalms 78:50; Proverbs 4:26; Proverbs 5:21. Here it probably means, that God had made the way smooth, or exactly level. He had removed all obstacles, and had conducted his people in a plain and leveled way (see the notes at Isaiah 40:3-4).