Isaiah 32:1–8

Justice and Wisdom Will Prevail

32:1 Look, a king will promote fairness;1

officials will promote justice.2

32:2 Each of them3 will be like a shelter from the wind

and a refuge from a rainstorm;

like streams of water in a dry region

and like the shade of a large cliff in a parched land.

32:3 Eyes4 will no longer be blind5

and ears6 will be attentive.

32:4 The mind that acts rashly will possess discernment7

and the tongue that stutters will speak with ease and clarity.

32:5 A fool will no longer be called honorable;

a deceiver will no longer be called principled.

32:6 For a fool speaks disgraceful things;8

his mind plans out sinful deeds.9

He commits godless deeds10

and says misleading things about the Lord;

he gives the hungry nothing to satisfy their appetite11

and gives the thirsty nothing to drink.12

32:7 A deceiver’s methods are evil;13

he dreams up evil plans14

to ruin the poor with lies,

even when the needy are in the right.15

32:8 An honorable man makes honorable plans;

his honorable character gives him security.16

1	tn Heb “will reign according to fairness.”
2	tn Heb “will rule according to justice.”
3	tn Heb “a man,” but אִישׁ (’ish) probably refers here to “each” of the officials mentioned in the previous verse.
4	tn Heb “Eyes that see.”
5	tn The Hebrew text as vocalized reads literally “will not gaze,” but this is contradictory to the context. The verb form should be revocalized as תְּשֹׁעֶינָה (tésho’enah) from שָׁעַע (sha’a’, “be blinded”); see Isa 6:10; 29:9.
6	tn Heb “ears that hear.”
7	tn Heb “the heart of rashness will understand knowledge”; cf. NAB “The flighty will become wise and capable.”
8	tn Or “foolishness,” in a moral-ethical sense. See 9:17.
9	tn Heb “and his heart commits sin”; KJV, ASV “his heart will work iniquity”; NASB “inclines toward wickedness.”
10	tn Heb “in order to do [or “so that he does”] what is godless [or “defiled”].”
11	tn Heb “so that he leaves empty the appetite [or “desire”] of the hungry.”
12	tn Heb “and the drink of the thirsty he causes to fail.”
13	tn Heb “as for a deceiver, his implements [or “weapons”] are evil.”
14	tn Or “he plans evil things”; NIV “he makes up evil schemes.”
15	tn Heb “to ruin the poor with words of falsehood, even when the needy speak what is just.”
16	tn Heb “and he upon honorable things stands.”