Isaiah 32
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Righteous Kingdom Announced
32 Indeed, a king will reign righteously,
and rulers will rule justly.(A)
2 Each will be like a shelter from the wind,
a refuge from the rain,(B)
like streams of water(C) in a dry land
and the shade of a massive rock in an arid land.
3 Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed,
and the ears of those who hear will listen.(D)
4 The reckless mind will gain knowledge,
and the stammering tongue(E) will speak clearly and fluently.
5 A fool will no longer be called a noble,(F)
nor a scoundrel said to be important.
6 For a fool speaks foolishness
and his mind plots iniquity.
He lives in a godless way
and speaks falsely about the Lord.
He leaves the hungry empty
and deprives the thirsty of drink.(G)
7 The scoundrel’s weapons are destructive;
he hatches plots to destroy the needy with lies,
even when the poor says what is right.
8 But a noble person plans noble things;
he stands up for noble causes.
9 Stand up, you complacent women;(H)
listen to me.
Pay attention to what I say,
you overconfident daughters.
10 In a little more than a year
you overconfident ones will shudder,
for the vintage will fail
and the harvest will not come.
11 Shudder, you complacent ones;
tremble, you overconfident ones!
Strip yourselves bare(I)
and put sackcloth around your waists.
12 Beat your breasts in mourning(J)
for the delightful fields and the fruitful vines,(K)
13 for the ground of my people
growing thorns and briers,(L)
indeed, for every joyous house in the joyful city.
14 For the palace will be forsaken,
the busy city abandoned.
The hill and the watchtower will become
barren places forever,
the joy of wild donkeys,
and a pasture for flocks,
15 until the Spirit from heaven is poured out on us.(M)
Then the desert will become an orchard,
and the orchard will seem like a forest.(N)
16 Then justice will inhabit the wilderness,
and righteousness will dwell in the orchard.
17 The result of righteousness will be peace;(O)
the effect of righteousness
will be quiet confidence forever.
18 Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place,
in safe and secure dwellings.
19 But hail will level the forest,[a](P)
and the city will sink into the depths.(Q)
20 Those who sow seed are happy
beside abundant waters;(R)
they let ox and donkey range freely.(S)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 32:19 Hb obscure
Isaiah 32
Common English Bible
Righteous rule
32 See here: A king rules to promote righteousness;
rulers govern to promote justice,
2 each like a shelter from the wind
and a refuge from a storm,
like streams of water in a wasteland,
like the shade of a massive cliff in a worn-out land.
3 Then the eyes of those who can see will no longer be blind,
the ears of those who can hear will listen,
4 the minds of the rash will know and comprehend,
and the tongues of those who stammer will speak fluently and plainly.
5 Then a fool will no longer be called honorable,
nor a villain considered respectable.
6 Fools speak folly;
their minds devise wickedness,
acting irreverently,
speaking falsely of the Lord,
leaving the hungry empty,
and depriving the thirsty of drink.
7 As for the villain, his villainies are evil.
He plans schemes to destroy the poor with lying words,
even when the needy speak justly.
8 But an honorable person plans honorable things
and stands up for what is honorable.
Warnings to the carefree
9 Women of leisure, stand up! Hear my voice!
Carefree daughters, listen to my word!
10 In a little over a year,
the carefree will shudder,
because the grape harvest will fail;
the vintage won’t arrive.
11 Tremble, all of you who are at ease;
shudder, all of you who are secure!
Strip yourselves, bare your skin,
and tie mourning clothes around your waist,
12 beating your breasts for the pleasant fields,
for the fruitful vine,
13 for my people’s soil
growing barbs and thorns,
for all the joyous houses
in the jubilant town.
14 The palace will be deserted,
the crowded city abandoned.
Stronghold and watchtower
will become empty fields forever,
suited for the pleasure of wild donkeys,
and a pasture for flocks—
15 until a spirit from on high
is poured out on us,
and the desert turns into farmland, and the farmland is considered a forest.
16 Then justice will reside in wild lands,
and righteousness will abide in farmlands.
17 The fruit of righteousness will be peace,
and the outcome of righteousness,
calm and security forever.
18 Then my people will live in a peaceful dwelling,
in secure homes, in carefree resting places.
19 Even if the forest falls[a]
and the humbled city is laid low,
20 those who sow beside any stream will be happy,
sending out ox and donkey to graze.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 32:19 Or it will hail when the forest falls
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