Isaiah 32 Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Righteous Kingdom Announced

32 Indeed, a king will reign righteously,
and rulers will rule justly.^(A)
²Each will be like a shelter from the wind,
a refuge from the rain,^(B)
like streams of water^(C) in a dry land
and the shade of a massive rock in an arid land.
³Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed,
and the ears of those who hear will listen.^(D)
⁴The reckless mind will gain knowledge,
and the stammering tongue^(E) will speak clearly and fluently.
⁵A fool will no longer be called a noble,^(F)
nor a scoundrel said to be important.
⁶For a fool speaks foolishness
and his mind plots iniquity.
He lives in a godless way
and speaks falsely about the Lord.
He leaves the hungry empty
and deprives the thirsty of drink.^(G)
⁷The scoundrel’s weapons are destructive;
he hatches plots to destroy the needy with lies,
even when the poor says what is right.
⁸But a noble person plans noble things;
he stands up for noble causes.

⁹Stand up, you complacent women;^(H)
listen to me.
Pay attention to what I say,
you overconfident daughters.
¹⁰In a little more than a year
you overconfident ones will shudder,
for the vintage will fail
and the harvest will not come.
¹¹Shudder, you complacent ones;
tremble, you overconfident ones!
Strip yourselves bare^(I)
and put sackcloth around your waists.
¹²Beat your breasts in mourning^(J)
for the delightful fields and the fruitful vines,^(K)
¹³for the ground of my people
growing thorns and briers,^(L)
indeed, for every joyous house in the joyful city.
¹⁴For the palace will be forsaken,
the busy city abandoned.
The hill and the watchtower will become
barren places forever,
the joy of wild donkeys,
and a pasture for flocks,
¹⁵until the Spirit from heaven is poured out on us.^(M)
Then the desert will become an orchard,
and the orchard will seem like a forest.^(N)
¹⁶Then justice will inhabit the wilderness,
and righteousness will dwell in the orchard.
¹⁷The result of righteousness will be peace;^(O)
the effect of righteousness
will be quiet confidence forever.
¹⁸Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place,
in safe and secure dwellings.
¹⁹But hail will level the forest,^[a]^(P)
and the city will sink into the depths.^(Q)
²⁰Those who sow seed are happy
beside abundant waters;^(R)
they let ox and donkey range freely.^(S)