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Government with Justice Predicted

32 See, a king will reign in righteousness,
    and princes[a] will rule with justice.(A)
Each will be like a hiding place from the wind,
    a covert from the tempest,
like streams of water in a dry place,
    like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.(B)
Then the eyes of those who have sight will not be closed,
    and the ears of those who have hearing will listen.(C)
The minds of the rash will have good judgment,
    and the tongues of stammerers will speak readily and distinctly.(D)
A fool will no longer be called noble
    nor a villain said to be honorable.(E)
For fools speak folly,
    and their minds plot iniquity:
to practice ungodliness,
    to utter error concerning the Lord,
to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied,
    and to deprive the thirsty of drink.(F)
The villainies of villains are evil;
    they devise wicked devices
to ruin the poor with lying words,
    even when the plea of the needy is right.(G)
But those who are noble plan noble things,
    and by noble things they stand.(H)

Complacent Women Warned of Disaster

Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice;
    you complacent daughters, listen to my speech.(I)
10 In little more than a year
    you will shudder, you complacent ones,
for the vintage will fail;
    the fruit harvest will not come.(J)
11 Tremble, you women who are at ease;
    shudder, you complacent ones;
strip and make yourselves bare,
    and put sackcloth on your loins.(K)
12 Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,[b]
    for the fruitful vine,(L)
13 for the soil of my people
    growing up in thorns and briers,
yes, for all the joyous houses
    in the jubilant city.(M)
14 For the palace will be forsaken,
    the populous city deserted;
the hill and the watchtower
    will become dens forever,
the joy of wild asses,
    a pasture for flocks;(N)
15 until a spirit from on high is poured out on us,
    and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
    and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.(O)

The Peace of God’s Reign

16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness
    and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.(P)
17 The effect of righteousness will be peace,
    and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.(Q)
18 My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,
    in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
19 The forest will disappear completely,[c]
    and the city will be utterly laid low.(R)
20 Happy will you be who sow beside every stream,
    who let the ox and the donkey range freely.(S)

Footnotes

  1. 32.1 Gk: Heb and for princes
  2. 32.12 Gk: Heb on the lamenting breasts
  3. 32.19 Meaning of Heb uncertain

The Glorious Future

32 Behold, a (A)king will reign righteously,
And officials will rule justly.
Each will be like a (B)refuge from the wind
And a shelter from the storm,
Like [a](C)streams of water in a dry country,
Like the (D)shade of a [b]huge rock in an exhausted land.
Then (E)the eyes of those who see will not be [c]blinded,
And the ears of those who hear will listen.
The [d]mind of the (F)rash will discern the [e]truth,
And the tongue of the stammerers will hurry to speak clearly.
No longer will the (G)fool be called noble,
Or the rogue be spoken of as generous.
For a fool speaks nonsense,
And his heart [f](H)inclines toward wickedness:
To practice (I)ungodliness and to speak error against the Lord,
To [g](J)keep the hungry person unsatisfied
And [h]to withhold drink from the thirsty.
As for a rogue, his weapons are evil;
He (K)devises wicked schemes
To (L)destroy the poor with [i]slander,
(M)Even though the needy one speaks [j]what is right.
But (N)the noble person devises noble plans;
And by noble plans he stands.

Rise up, you (O)women who are at ease,
And hear my voice;
(P)Listen to my word,
You complacent daughters.
10 Within a year and a few days
You will be troubled, you complacent daughters;
(Q)For the vintage is ended,
And the fruit gathering will not come.
11 Tremble, you women who are at ease;
(R)Be troubled, you complacent daughters;
(S)Strip, undress, and put sackcloth on your waist,
12 (T)Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine,
13 (U)For the land of my people in which thorns and briars will come up;
Indeed, for all the joyful houses and for the (V)jubilant city.
14 For (W)the palace has been neglected, the [k]populated (X)city abandoned.
[l]Hill and watch-tower have become (Y)caves forever,
A delight for (Z)wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks,
15 Until the (AA)Spirit is poured out upon us from on high,
And the wilderness becomes a (AB)fertile field,
And the fertile field is considered as a forest.
16 Then (AC)justice will dwell in the wilderness,
And righteousness will remain in the fertile field.
17 And the (AD)work of righteousness will be peace,
And the service of righteousness, (AE)quietness and [m]confidence forever.
18 Then my people will live in a (AF)peaceful settlement,
In secure dwellings, and in undisturbed (AG)resting places;
19 And it will (AH)hail when the (AI)forest comes down,
And (AJ)the city will be utterly laid low.
20 How (AK)blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters,
Who [n]let the ox and the donkey out freely.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 32:2 Lit canals
  2. Isaiah 32:2 Lit heavy
  3. Isaiah 32:3 Or turned away
  4. Isaiah 32:4 Lit heart
  5. Isaiah 32:4 Lit knowledge
  6. Isaiah 32:6 Or does
  7. Isaiah 32:6 Lit make empty the hungry soul
  8. Isaiah 32:6 Lit he deprives the thirsty
  9. Isaiah 32:7 Lit words of falsehood
  10. Isaiah 32:7 Lit justly
  11. Isaiah 32:14 Lit multitude of the
  12. Isaiah 32:14 Or Ophel
  13. Isaiah 32:17 Or security
  14. Isaiah 32:20 Lit send out the foot of the ox