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The Government of Justice

32 “Look, a king will reign in righteousness,
    and rulers will rule with justice.
Each one will be like a shelter from the wind
    and a hiding place from[a] storms,
like streams of water in the desert,
    in[b] the shadow of a great rock in an exhausted[c] land.
Then the eyes of those who can see won’t turn away,
    and the ears of those who can hear will listen.
The hearts of reckless people will understand sound judgment,
    and the tongues of those who stammer will be ready to speak clearly.
People will no longer call a fool[d] noble,
    nor will a bad person be declared honorable.
For fools utter contempt,
    and their minds plot[e] wrong things:
practicing ungodliness,
    spreading lies about the Lord,
leaving the pangs of hungry people unsatisfied,
    and depriving thirsty people of drink.
Furthermore, the crimes of bad people are evil;
    and[f] they devise wicked schemes,
destroying the poor[g] with lying words,
    even when needy people plead[h] a just cause.
But those who are decent plan noble things,
    and by noble deeds they stand.”

A Rebuke for Complacent Women

“As for you ladies of leisure—
    Get up and listen to my voice!
You daughters who feel so complacent—
    hear what I have to say!
10 In little more than a year,
    you complacent women will shudder;
for the grape harvest will fail,
    and the fruit harvest will not[i] come.
11 So tremble, you ladies of leisure!
    Shudder, you daughters who feel so complacent!
Strip down and make yourselves naked down to the waist![j]
    Then wrap yourself in[k] sackcloth and beat your breasts.[l]
12 For people will be beating their breasts
    in mourning[m] over the pleasant fields,
        over the fruitful vines,
13 and over the land of my people
    overgrown with thorns and[n] briers—
yes, over all the houses of merriment
    and over this city of revelry.

14 “For the palace will be abandoned,
    the noisy city deserted;
the citadel and watchtower
    will become barren wastes forever,
the delight of wild donkeys,
    and a pasture for[o] flocks,
15 until the Spirit from on high is poured upon us,
    and the desert becomes a fertile field,
        and the fertile field seems like a forest.”

Restoration of God’s Reign

16 “Then justice will live in the wilderness,
    and righteousness will dwell in the fertile field.
17 The effect of righteousness will be peace,
    and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.
18 My people will live in peaceful dwellings,
    in secure homes and in undisturbed resting places.
19 But it will hail when the forest comes down,
    and the wood[p] will be leveled completely.
20 How happy you will be, sowing your seed beside every stream,
    and[q] letting your[r] cattle and donkeys range freely!”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 32:2 So 1QIsaa; MT reads of
  2. Isaiah 32:2 So 1QIsaa; MT reads like
  3. Isaiah 32:2 Or thirsty
  4. Isaiah 32:5 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads No longer will a fool will be called
  5. Isaiah 32:6 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads work
  6. Isaiah 32:7 So 1QIsaa LXX; the Heb. lacks and
  7. Isaiah 32:7 1QIsaa and MT use two different synonyms
  8. Isaiah 32:7 So 1QIsaa; cf. LXX; MT reads a needy one pleads
  9. Isaiah 32:10 So 1QIsaa; MT reads without
  10. Isaiah 32:11 Lit. the loins; so 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads to loins
  11. Isaiah 32:11 1QIsaa MT LXX lack yourself in
  12. Isaiah 32:11 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack and beat your breasts
  13. Isaiah 32:12 1QIsaa MT lack mourning
  14. Isaiah 32:13 So 1QIsaa LXX; the Heb. lacks and
  15. Isaiah 32:14 So 1QIsaa; MT reads of; cf. LXX
  16. Isaiah 32:19 So 1QIsaa; MT reads the city; LXX lacks the wood
  17. Isaiah 32:20 So 1QIsaa; the Heb. lacks and
  18. Isaiah 32:20 Lit. letting the feet of your

The Kingdom of Righteousness

32 See, a king(A) will reign in righteousness
    and rulers will rule with justice.(B)
Each one will be like a shelter(C) from the wind
    and a refuge from the storm,(D)
like streams of water(E) in the desert(F)
    and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,(G)
    and the ears(H) of those who hear will listen.
The fearful heart will know and understand,(I)
    and the stammering tongue(J) will be fluent and clear.
No longer will the fool(K) be called noble
    nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
For fools speak folly,(L)
    their hearts are bent on evil:(M)
They practice ungodliness(N)
    and spread error(O) concerning the Lord;
the hungry they leave empty(P)
    and from the thirsty they withhold water.
Scoundrels use wicked methods,(Q)
    they make up evil schemes(R)
to destroy the poor with lies,
    even when the plea of the needy(S) is just.(T)
But the noble make noble plans,
    and by noble deeds(U) they stand.(V)

The Women of Jerusalem

You women(W) who are so complacent,
    rise up and listen(X) to me;
you daughters who feel secure,(Y)
    hear what I have to say!
10 In little more than a year(Z)
    you who feel secure will tremble;
the grape harvest will fail,(AA)
    and the harvest of fruit will not come.
11 Tremble,(AB) you complacent women;
    shudder, you daughters who feel secure!(AC)
Strip off your fine clothes(AD)
    and wrap yourselves in rags.(AE)
12 Beat your breasts(AF) for the pleasant fields,
    for the fruitful vines(AG)
13 and for the land of my people,
    a land overgrown with thorns and briers(AH)
yes, mourn(AI) for all houses of merriment
    and for this city of revelry.(AJ)
14 The fortress(AK) will be abandoned,
    the noisy city deserted;(AL)
citadel and watchtower(AM) will become a wasteland forever,
    the delight of donkeys,(AN) a pasture for flocks,(AO)
15 till the Spirit(AP) is poured on us from on high,
    and the desert becomes a fertile field,(AQ)
    and the fertile field seems like a forest.(AR)
16 The Lord’s justice(AS) will dwell in the desert,(AT)
    his righteousness(AU) live in the fertile field.
17 The fruit of that righteousness(AV) will be peace;(AW)
    its effect will be quietness and confidence(AX) forever.
18 My people will live in peaceful(AY) dwelling places,
    in secure homes,(AZ)
    in undisturbed places of rest.(BA)
19 Though hail(BB) flattens the forest(BC)
    and the city is leveled(BD) completely,
20 how blessed you will be,
    sowing(BE) your seed by every stream,(BF)
    and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.(BG)

32 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.

And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.

The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.

The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.

But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.

Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.

10 Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.

11 Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.

12 They shall lament for the teats, 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 Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers 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 be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.

16 Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.

17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;

19 When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.

20 Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.