Isaiah 38:18–20

18 For the grave cannot praise you,

death cannot sing your praise;

those who go down to the pit

cannot hope for your faithfulness.

19 The living, the living—they praise you,

as I am doing today;

parents tell their children

about your faithfulness.

20 The Lord will save me,

and we will sing with stringed instruments

all the days of our lives

in the temple of the Lord.

18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee:

They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day:

The father to the children shall make known thy truth.

20 The Lord was ready to save me:

Therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments

All the days of our life in the house of the Lord.

18 For the dead cannot praise you;

they cannot raise their voices in praise.

Those who go down to the grave

can no longer hope in your faithfulness.

19 Only the living can praise you as I do today.

Each generation tells of your faithfulness to the next.

20 Think of it—the Lord is ready to heal me!

I will sing his praises with instruments

every day of my life

in the Temple of the Lord.

18 For Sheol cannot thank You,

Death cannot praise You;

Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth.

19 The living, the living man, he shall praise You,

As I do this day;

The father shall make known Your truth to the children.

20 “The Lord was ready to save me;

Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments

All the days of our life, in the house of the Lord.”

18 People in the place of the dead cannot praise you;

those who have died cannot sing praises to you;

those who die don’t trust you

to help them.

19 The people who are alive are the ones who praise you.

They praise you as I praise you today.

A father should tell his children

that you provide help.

20 The Lord saved me,

so we will play songs on stringed instruments

in the Temple of the Lord

all the days of our lives.

18 For Sheol cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee:

They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day:

The father to the children shall make known thy truth.

20 Jehovah is ready to save me:

Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments

All the days of our life in the house of Jehovah.

18 For not Sheol shall praise thee, nor death celebrate thee; they that go down into the pit do not hope for thy truth. 19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth. 20 Jehovah was purposed to save me. —And we will play upon my stringed instruments all the days of our life, in the house of Jehovah.

18 Sheol doesn’t thank you! 

Death doesn’t praise you! 

Those who go down to the pit cannot expect you to be faithful. 

19 Those who are living praise you as I do today. 

Fathers make your faithfulness known to their children. 

20 The Lord is going to rescue me, 

so let us play stringed instruments. 

We live our lives in the Lord’s temple. 

18 For Sheol cannot thank You;

Death cannot praise You.

Those who go down to the Pit

cannot hope for Your faithfulness.

19 The living, only the living can thank You,

as I do today;

a father will make Your faithfulness known to children.

20 The Lord will save me;

we will play stringed instruments

all the days of our lives

at the house of the Lord.

18 For Sheol cannot thank you;

death cannot praise you;

those who go down to the Pit cannot hope

for your faithfulness.

19 The living, the living, they thank you,

as I do this day;

fathers make known to children

your faithfulness.

20 The Lord will save me,

and we will sing to stringed instruments

all the days of our lives,

at the house of the Lord.

18 For Sheol cannot praise you; death cannot praise you.

Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.

19 The living, the living one praises you like me today;

a father will make your faithfulness known to children.

20 Yahweh, save me, and we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives at the temple of Yahweh.”

18 People in the grave can’t praise you.

Dead people can’t sing praise to you.

Those who go down to the grave

can’t hope for you to be faithful to them.

19 It is those who are alive who praise you.

And that’s what I’m doing today.

Fathers tell their children

about how faithful you are.

20 “You will save me.

So we will sing and play music on stringed instruments.

We will sing all the days of our lives

in your temple.”

18 “For Sheol cannot thank You,

Death cannot praise You;

Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.

19 “It is the living who give thanks to You, as I do today;

A father tells his sons about Your faithfulness.

20 “The Lord will surely save me;

So we will play my songs on stringed instruments

All the days of our life at the house of the Lord.”