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Reign in Righteousness

32 Behold, a king will reign in righteousness
and princes will rule in justice.
Each will be like a refuge from the wind
and a shelter from the storm,
like streams of water in a dry place,
like the shade of a massive rock in a weary land.
Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed,
and the ears of those who hear will pay attention.
The heart of the hasty will understand knowledge,
and the tongue of stammerers will speak fluently, clearly.
No longer will a fool be called noble,
or a scoundrel said to be a gentleman.
For the fool speaks foolishness
and his heart works wickedness,
to practice ungodliness,
and speak error about Adonai,
to deprive the hungry of food
and withhold drink from the thirsty.
The scoundrel’s methods are evil—
he makes up wicked schemes
    to destroy the poor with lies,
even when the plea of the needy is just.
But the noble devises noble plans,
and for noble causes he stands.

Rise up, you women at ease,
    And hear my voice.
You complacent daughters,
    give ear to my words.
10 Within a year and a few days
you will shudder, complacent ones.
For the grape harvest will fail
and the gathering will not come.
11 Tremble, you women at ease!
Shudder, you complacent ones!
Strip and make yourselves bare,
and put sackcloth on your waist.
12 Beat your breasts lamenting for pleasant fields,
or fruitful vine,
13 for the land of my people,
    where thorns and briars come up,
for all the joyful houses
    of the jubilant city.

14 For the palace will be abandoned;
the bustling city will be deserted;
the citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever,
    a delight of wild donkeys,
    a pasture for flocks,
15 until the Ruach is poured out on us from on high,[a]
and the desert becomes a garden,
and a garden seems like a forest.
16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,
and righteousness abide in the garden.
17 The result of righteousness will be shalom
and the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.
18 My people will live in a peaceful place,
in secure dwellings,
quiet resting places.
19 Then hail will flatten the forest;
and the city will be utterly laid low.
20 Blessed are you, sowing by all waters,
letting the feet of the ox and the donkey range free.

A Reign of Righteousness

32 Behold, (A)a king will reign in righteousness,
And princes will rule with justice.
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.
(C)The eyes of those who see will not be dim,
And the ears of those who hear will listen.
Also the heart of the [b]rash will (D)understand knowledge,
And the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly.

The foolish person will no longer be called [c]generous,
Nor the miser said to be bountiful;
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.
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.
But a [d]generous man devises generous things,
And by generosity he shall stand.

Consequences of Complacency

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

  1. Isaiah 32:2 shelter
  2. Isaiah 32:4 hasty
  3. Isaiah 32:5 noble
  4. Isaiah 32:8 noble

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