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32 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness,
    and princes shall rule in justice.
A man shall be as a hiding place from the wind,
    and a covert from the storm,
    as streams of water in a dry place,
    as the shade of a large rock in a weary land.
The eyes of those who see will not be dim,
    and the ears of those who hear will listen.
The heart of the rash will understand knowledge,
    and the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly.
The fool will no longer be called noble,
    nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
For the fool will speak folly,
    and his heart will work iniquity,
    to practice profanity,
    and to utter error against Yahweh,
    to make empty the soul of the hungry,
    and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
The ways of the scoundrel are evil.
    He devises wicked plans to destroy the humble with lying words,
    even when the needy speaks right.
But the noble devises noble things;
    and he will continue in noble things.

Rise up, you women who are at ease! Hear my voice!
    You careless daughters, give ear to my speech!
10 For days beyond a year you will be troubled, you careless women;
    for the vintage will fail.
    The harvest won’t come.
11 Tremble, you women who are at ease!
    Be troubled, you careless ones!
    Strip yourselves, make yourselves naked,
    and put sackcloth on your waist.
12 Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,
    for the fruitful vine.
13 Thorns and briers will come up on my people’s land;
    yes, on all the houses of joy in the joyous city.
14 For the palace will be forsaken.
    The populous city will be deserted.
    The hill and the watchtower will be for dens forever,
    a delight for wild donkeys,
    a pasture of flocks,
15 until the Spirit is poured on us from on high,
    and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
    and the fruitful field is considered a forest.

16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness;
    and righteousness will remain in the fruitful field.
17 The work of righteousness will be peace,
    and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.
18 My people will live in a peaceful habitation,
    in safe dwellings,
    and in quiet resting places,
19 though hail flattens the forest,
    and the city is leveled completely.
20 Blessed are you who sow beside all waters,
    who send out the feet of the ox and the donkey.

A King Will Reign in Righteousness

32 Behold, (A)a king will reign in righteousness,
    and princes will rule in justice.
(B)Each will be like a hiding place from the wind,
    a shelter from the storm,
(C)like streams of water in a dry place,
    like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.
(D)Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed,
    and the ears of those who hear will give attention.
The heart of the hasty will understand and know,
    (E)and the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak distinctly.
(F)The fool will no more be called noble,
    nor the scoundrel said to be honorable.
For (G)the fool speaks folly,
    and his heart is busy with iniquity,
to practice ungodliness,
    to utter error concerning the Lord,
(H)to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied,
    and to deprive the thirsty of drink.
As for the scoundrel—(I)his devices are evil;
    he plans wicked schemes
to ruin the poor with lying words,
    even when the plea of the needy is right.
But he who is noble plans noble things,
    and on noble things he stands.

Complacent Women Warned of Disaster

(J)Rise up, you women (K)who are at ease, hear my voice;
    you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech.
10 In little more than a year
    you will shudder, you complacent women;
for the grape harvest fails,
    the fruit harvest will not come.
11 Tremble, you women (L)who are at ease,
    shudder, you complacent ones;
(M)strip, and make yourselves bare,
    (N)and tie sackcloth around your waist.
12 (O)Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,
    for the fruitful vine,
13 (P)for the soil of my people
    growing up in thorns and briers,
(Q)yes, for all the joyous houses
    in the exultant city.
14 For the palace is forsaken,
    the populous city deserted;
the hill and the watchtower
    will become dens forever,
(R)a joy of wild donkeys,
    a pasture of flocks;
15 until (S)the Spirit is poured upon us from on high,
    and (T)the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
    and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.
16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,
    and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.
17 (U)And the effect of righteousness will be peace,
    and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust[a] forever.
18 My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,
    in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
19 (V)And it will hail when the forest falls down,
    (W)and the city will be utterly laid low.
20 (X)Happy are you who sow beside all waters,
    who let the feet of the ox and the donkey range free.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 32:17 Or security