Isaiah 32

CHAPTER 32

A King Will Reign Righteously

¹Behold, a ^aking will reign righteously

And princes will rule justly.

²Each will be like a ^arefuge from the wind

And a shelter from the storm,

Like ^1bstreams of water in a dry country,

Like the ^cshade of a ²huge rock in ³a weary land.

³Then ^athe eyes of those who see will not be ¹blinded,

And the ears of those who hear will pay attention.

⁴And the heart of the ^ahasty will discern knowledge,

And the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak clearly.

⁵No longer will the ^awicked fool be called noble,

Or the rogue be spoken of as generous.

⁶For a wicked fool speaks wicked folly,

And his heart ^adoes wickedness:

To do ^bungodliness and to speak error against Yahweh,

In order to ^cmake the hungry person empty;

He even causes the thirsty to lack a drink.

⁷As for a rogue, his weapons are evil;

He ^acounsels wicked schemes

To ^bwreak destruction on the afflicted with lying words,

^cEven though the needy one speaks justly.

⁸But ^athe noble man counsels noble plans;

And by noble plans he rises up.

⁹Rise up, you ^awomen who are at ease,

And hear my voice;

^bGive ear to my word,

You complacent daughters.

¹⁰Within a year and a few days

You will quake, O complacent daughters;

^aFor the grape harvest is ended,

And the fruit gathering will not come.

¹¹Tremble, you women who are at ease;

^aQuake, you complacent daughters;

^bStrip, undress, and put sackcloth on your waist,

^12aBeat your breasts for the desirable fields, for the fruitful vine,

^13aFor the land of my people in which thorns and briars shall come up,

Indeed, against all the joyful houses and the ^bexultant city.

¹⁴Because ^athe palace has been abandoned, the ¹populated ^bcity forsaken.

²Hill and watchtower have become ^ccaves forever,

A joy for ^dwild donkeys, a pasture for flocks,

¹⁵Until the ^aSpirit is poured out upon us from on high,

And the wilderness becomes a ^bfruitful orchard,

And the fruitful orchard is counted as a forest.

¹⁶Then ^ajustice will dwell in the wilderness,

And righteousness will live in the fruitful orchard.

¹⁷And the ^awork of righteousness will be peace,

And the service of righteousness, ^bquietness and security forever.

¹⁸Then my people will live in a ^apeaceful abode,

And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed ^bresting places;

¹⁹And it will ^ahail when the ^bforest comes down,

And ^cthe city will be utterly laid low.

²⁰How ^ablessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters,

Who ¹let out freely the ox and the donkey.