Isaiah 32
American Standard Version
32 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice. 2 And a man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as streams of water in a dry place, as the shade of a great rock in a weary land. 3 And the eyes of them that see shall not be [a]dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken. 4 And the heart of the [b]rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly. 5 The fool shall be no more called noble, nor the [c]churl said to be bountiful. 6 For the fool will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise profaneness, and to utter error against Jehovah, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. 7 And the instruments of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the [d]meek with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right. 8 But the noble deviseth noble things; and [e]in noble things shall he continue.
9 Rise up, ye women that are at ease, and hear my voice; ye [f]careless daughters, give ear unto my speech. 10 [g]For days beyond a year shall ye be troubled, ye careless women; for the vintage shall fail, the ingathering shall not come. 11 Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones; strip you, and make you bare, and [h]gird sackcloth upon your loins. 12 They shall smite upon the breasts 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 For the palace shall be forsaken; the populous city shall be deserted; [i]the hill and the watch-tower 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 become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest.
16 Then justice shall dwell in the wilderness; and righteousness shall abide in the fruitful field. 17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence for ever. 18 And my people shall abide in a peaceable habitation, and in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting-places. 19 But it shall hail in the downfall of the forest; and the city shall be utterly laid low. 20 Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth the feet of the ox and the ass.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 32:3 Or, closed
- Isaiah 32:4 Hebrew hasty.
- Isaiah 32:5 Or, crafty
- Isaiah 32:7 Or, poor
- Isaiah 32:8 Or, by liberal things shall he stand
- Isaiah 32:9 Hebrew confident.
- Isaiah 32:10 Or, After a year and days. Hebrew Days above a year.
- Isaiah 32:11 Or, put a girdle upon
- Isaiah 32:14 Or, Ophel
Isaiah 32
English Standard Version
A King Will Reign in Righteousness
32 Behold, (A)a king will reign in righteousness,
and princes will rule in justice.
2 (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.
3 (D)Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed,
and the ears of those who hear will give attention.
4 The heart of the hasty will understand and know,
(E)and the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak distinctly.
5 (F)The fool will no more be called noble,
nor the scoundrel said to be honorable.
6 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.
7 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.
8 But he who is noble plans noble things,
and on noble things he stands.
Complacent Women Warned of Disaster
9 (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
- Isaiah 32:17 Or security
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.