Isaiah 32
New King James Version
A Reign of Righteousness
32 Behold, (A)a king will reign in righteousness,
And princes will rule with justice.
2 A man will be as a hiding place from the wind,
And (B)a [a]cover from the tempest,
As rivers of water in a dry place,
As the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
3 (C)The eyes of those who see will not be dim,
And the ears of those who hear will listen.
4 Also the heart of the [b]rash will (D)understand knowledge,
And the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly.
5 The foolish person will no longer be called [c]generous,
Nor the miser said to be bountiful;
6 For the foolish person will speak foolishness,
And his heart will work (E)iniquity:
To practice ungodliness,
To utter error against the Lord,
To keep the hungry unsatisfied,
And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
7 Also the schemes of the schemer are evil;
He devises wicked plans
To destroy the poor with (F)lying words,
Even when the needy speaks justice.
8 But a [d]generous man devises generous things,
And by generosity he shall stand.
Consequences of Complacency
9 Rise up, you women (G)who are at ease,
Hear my voice;
You complacent daughters,
Give ear to my speech.
10 In a year and some days
You will be troubled, you complacent women;
For the vintage will fail,
The gathering will not come.
11 Tremble, you women who are at ease;
Be troubled, you complacent ones;
Strip yourselves, make yourselves bare,
And gird sackcloth on your waists.
12 People shall mourn upon their breasts
For the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.
13 (H)On the land of my people will come up thorns and briers,
Yes, on all the happy homes in (I)the joyous city;
14 (J)Because the palaces will be forsaken,
The bustling city will be deserted.
The forts and towers will become lairs forever,
A joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks—
15 Until (K)the Spirit is poured upon us from on high,
And (L)the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
And the fruitful field is counted as a forest.
The Peace of God’s Reign
16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,
And righteousness remain in the fruitful field.
17 (M)The work of righteousness will be peace,
And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.
18 My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation,
In secure dwellings, and in quiet (N)resting places,
19 (O)Though hail comes down (P)on the forest,
And the city is brought low in humiliation.
20 Blessed are you who sow beside all waters,
Who send out freely the feet of (Q)the ox and the donkey.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 32:2 shelter
- Isaiah 32:4 hasty
- Isaiah 32:5 noble
- Isaiah 32:8 noble
Isaiah 32
Amplified Bible
The Glorious Future
32 Behold, a [a]King will reign in righteousness,
And princes will rule with justice.
2
Each [one of them] will be like a hiding place from the wind
And a shelter from the storm,
Like streams of water in a dry land,
Like the shade of a huge rock in a parched and weary land [to those who turn to them].
3
Then the eyes of those who see will not be blinded,
And the ears of those who hear will listen attentively.
4
The heart (mind) of those who act impulsively will discern the truth,
And the tongue of the stammerers will hurry to speak clearly.
5
The fool (the good-for-nothing) will no longer be called noble,
Nor the rogue said to be generous.
6
For the fool speaks nonsense,
And his heart (mind) plans wickedness:
To practice ungodliness and to speak error concerning the Lord,
To keep the craving of the hungry unsatisfied
And to deprive the thirsty of drink.
7
As for the rogue, his weapons are evil;
He conceives wicked plans
To ruin the poor with lies,
Even when the plea of the needy one is just and right.
8
But the noble man conceives noble and magnificent things;
And he stands by what is noble and magnificent.
9
Rise up, you women who are carefree,
And hear my voice,
You confident and unsuspecting daughters!
Listen to what I am saying.
10
In little more than a year
You will tremble [with anxiety], you unsuspecting and complacent women;
For the vintage has ended,
And the harvest will not come.
11
Tremble, you women who are carefree;
Tremble with fear, you complacent ones!
Strip, undress and wear sackcloth on your waist [in grief],
12
Beat your breasts [in mourning] for the beautiful fields, for the fruitful vine,
13
For the land of my people growing over with thorns and briars—
Yes, [mourn] for all the houses of joy in the joyous city.
14
For the palace has been abandoned, the populated city deserted;
The hill [of the city] and the watchtower have become caves [for wild animals] forever,
A delight for wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks,
15
Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high,
And the wilderness becomes a fertile field,
And the fertile field is valued as a forest.(A)
16
Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,
And righteousness will live in the fertile field.
17
And the effect of righteousness will be peace,
And the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever.
18
Then my people will live in a peaceful surrounding,
And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places.
19
But it will hail, when the forest comes down,
And the [capital] city will fall in utter humiliation.
20
Blessed (happy, fortunate) are you who cast your seed upon all waters [[b]when the river overflows its banks and irrigates the land],
You who allow the ox and the donkey to roam freely.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 32:1 The Messianic age is again in view (Is 9:7; 11:4; 16:5; 33:17).
- Isaiah 32:20 This verse is challenging to interpret; the ancient rabbis allegorized it, interpreting the sowing as acts of charity and the waters as the Torah.
Isaiah 32
Authorized (King James) Version
32 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness,
and princes shall rule in judgment.
2 And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind,
and a covert from the tempest;
as rivers of water in a dry place,
as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
3 And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim,
and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.
4 The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge,
and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.
5 The vile person shall be no more called liberal,
nor the churl said to be bountiful.
6 For the vile person will speak villany,
and his heart will work iniquity,
to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord,
to make empty the soul of the hungry,
and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
7 The instruments also of the churl are evil:
he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words,
even when the needy speaketh right.
8 But the liberal deviseth liberal things;
and by liberal things shall he stand.
9 Rise up, ye women that are at ease;
hear my voice, ye careless daughters;
give ear unto my speech.
10 Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women:
for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.
11 Tremble, ye women that are at ease;
be troubled, ye careless ones:
strip you, and make you bare,
and gird sackcloth upon your loins.
12 They shall lament for the teats,
for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.
13 Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers;
yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city:
14 because the palaces shall be forsaken;
the multitude of the city shall be left;
the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever,
a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;
15 until the spirit be poured upon us from on high,
and the wilderness be a fruitful field,
and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.
16 Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness,
and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.
17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace;
and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation,
and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;
19 when it shall hail, coming down on the forest;
and the city shall be low in a low place.
20 Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters,
that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.
Isaiah 32
1599 Geneva Bible
32 The conditions of good rulers and officers describeth by the government of Hezekiah, who was the figure of Christ.
1 Behold, [a]a King shall reign in justice, and the princes shall [b]rule in judgment.
2 And that man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and as a refuge for the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, and as the shadow of a great rock in [c]a weary land.
3 The eyes of [d]the seeing shall not be shut, and the ears of them that hear, shall hearken.
4 And the heart of the foolish shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stutters shall be ready to speak distinctly.
5 A [e]niggard shall no more be called liberal, nor the churl rich.
6 But the niggard will speak of niggardness, and his heart will work iniquity, and do wickedly, and speak falsely against the Lord, to make empty the hungry soul, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
7 For the weapons of the churl are wicked: he deviseth wicked counsels to undo the poor with lying words, and to speak against the poor in judgment.
8 But the liberal man will devise of liberal things, and he will continue his liberality.
9 ¶ Rise up ye women that are at ease: hear my voice, ye [f]careless daughters, hearken to my words.
10 Ye women that are careless, shall be in fear [g]above a year in days, [h]for the vintage shall fail, and the gatherings shall come no more.
11 Ye women that are at ease, be astonied; fear, O ye careless women: put off the clothes; make bare, and gird sackcloth upon the loins.
12 Men shall lament for the [i]teats, even for the pleasant fields, and for the fruitful vine.
13 Upon the land of my people shall grow thorns and briers: yea, upon all the houses of joy in the city of rejoicing,
14 Because the palace shall be forsaken, and the [j]noise of the city shall be left: the tower and fortress shall be dens forever, and the delight of wild asses, and a pasture for flocks,
15 Until the [k]Spirit be poured upon us from above, and the wilderness become a fruitful field, and the [l]plenteous field be counted as a forest.
16 And judgment shall dwell in the desert, and justice shall remain in the fruitful field.
17 And the work of justice shall be peace, even the work of justice and quietness, and assurance forever.
18 And my people shall dwell in the tabernacle of peace, and in sure dwellings, and in safe resting places.
19 When it haileth, it shall fall on the forest, and the [m]city shall be in the low place.
20 Blessed are ye [n]that sow upon all waters, and [o]drive thither the feet of the ox and the ass.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 32:1 This prophecy is of Hezekiah, who was a figure of Christ, and therefore it ought chiefly to be referred to him.
- Isaiah 32:1 By judgment and justice is meant an upright government, both in policy, and religion.
- Isaiah 32:2 Where men are weary with traveling for lack of water.
- Isaiah 32:3 He promiseth to give the true light, which is the pure doctrine of God’s word, and understanding, and zeal of the same, are contrary to the threatenings against the wicked, Isa. 6:9 and 29:10.
- Isaiah 32:5 Vice shall no more be called virtue, nor virtue esteemed by power and riches.
- Isaiah 32:9 He prophesieth of such calamity to come, that they will not spare the women and children, and therefore willeth them to take heed and provide.
- Isaiah 32:10 Meaning, that the affliction should continue long, and when one year were past, yet they should look for new plagues.
- Isaiah 32:10 God will take from you the means and occasions, which made you to contemn him: to wit, abundance of worldly goods.
- Isaiah 32:12 By the teats he meaneth the plentiful fields, whereby men are nourished as children with the teat: or, the mothers for sorrow and heaviness shall lack milk.
- Isaiah 32:14 Or, multitude.
- Isaiah 32:15 That is, when the Church shall be restored: thus the Prophets, after they have denounced God’s judgments against the wicked, used to comfort the godly, lest they should faint.
- Isaiah 32:15 The field which is now fruitful, shall be but as a barren forest in comparison of that it shall be then, as Isa. 29:17, which shall be fulfilled in Christ’s time, for then they that were before as the barren wilderness, being regenerate shall be fruitful, and they that had some beginning of godliness, shall bring forth fruits in such abundance, that their former life shall seem but as a wilderness where no fruits were.
- Isaiah 32:19 They shall not need to build it in high places for fear of the enemy: for God will defend it, and turn away the storms from hurting of their commodities.
- Isaiah 32:20 That is, upon fat ground and well watered, which bringeth forth in abundance, or in places which before were covered with waters, and now made dry for your uses.
- Isaiah 32:20 The fields shall be so rank, that they shall send out their cattle to eat up the first crop, which abundance shall be signs of God’s love and favor toward them.
Isaiah 32
Young's Literal Translation
32 Lo, for righteousness doth a king reign, As to princes, for judgment they rule.
2 And each hath been as a hiding-place [from] wind, And as a secret hiding-place [from] inundation, As rivulets of waters in a dry place, As a shadow of a heavy rock in a weary land.
3 And not dazzled are the eyes of beholders, And the ears of hearers do attend.
4 And the heart of those hastened Understandeth to know, And the tongue of stammerers hasteth to speak clearly.
5 A fool is no more called `noble,' And to a miser it is not said, `rich;'
6 For a fool speaketh folly, And his heart doth iniquity, to do profanity, And to speak concerning Jehovah error, To empty the soul of the hungry, Yea, drink of the thirsty he causeth to lack.
7 And the miser -- his instruments [are] evil, He hath counselled wicked devices, To corrupt the poor with lying sayings, Even when the needy speaketh justly.
8 And the noble counselled noble things, And he for noble things riseth up.
9 Women, easy ones, rise, hear my voice, Daughters, confident ones, give ear [to] my saying,
10 Days and a year ye are troubled, O confident ones, For consumed hath been harvest, The gathering cometh not.
11 Tremble ye women, ye easy ones, Be troubled, ye confident ones, Strip and make bare, with a girdle on the loins,
12 For breasts they are lamenting, For fields of desire, for the fruitful vine.
13 Over the ground of my people thorn -- brier goeth up, Surely over all houses of joy of the exulting city,
14 Surely the palace hath been left, The multitude of the city forsaken, Fort and watch-tower hath been for dens unto the age, A joy of wild asses -- a pasture of herds;
15 Till emptied out on us is the Spirit from on high, And a wilderness hath become a fruitful field, And the fruitful field for a forest is reckoned.
16 And dwelt in the wilderness hath judgment, And righteousness in the fruitful field remaineth.
17 And a work of the righteousness hath been peace, And a service of the righteousness -- Keeping quiet and confidence unto the age.
18 And dwelt hath My people in a peaceful habitation, And in stedfast tabernacles, And in quiet resting-places.
19 And it hath hailed in the going down of the forest, And in the valley is the city low.
20 Happy [are] ye sowing by all waters, Sending forth the foot of the ox and the ass!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
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Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
