Isaiah 32

The Righteous Kingdom Announced

¹Indeed, a king will reign righteously, and rulers will rule justly.²

³Each will be like a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the rain, like flowing streams in a dry land and the shade of a massive rock in an arid land.⁴

⁵Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.⁶

⁷The reckless mind will gain knowledge, and the stammering tongue will speak clearly and fluently.⁸

⁹A fool will no longer be called a noble, nor a scoundrel said to be important.¹⁰

¹¹For 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.¹²

¹³The scoundrel’s weapons are destructive; he hatches plots to destroy the needy with lies, even when the poor person says what is right.¹⁴

¹⁵But a noble person plans noble things; he stands up for noble causes.¹⁶

¹⁷Stand up, you complacent women; listen to me. Pay attention to what I say, you overconfident daughters.¹⁸

¹⁹In a little more than a year you overconfident ones will shudder, for the grapes will fail and the harvest will not come.²⁰

²¹Shudder, you complacent ones; tremble, you overconfident ones! Strip yourselves bare and put sackcloth around your waists.²²

²³Beat your breasts in mourning for the delightful fields and the fruitful vines,²⁴

²⁵for the ground of my people growing thorns and briers, indeed, for every joyous house in the jubilant city.²⁶

²⁷For the palace will be deserted, the busy city abandoned. The hill and the watchtower will become barren places forever, the joy of wild donkeys, and a pasture for flocks,²⁸

²⁹until the Spirit from on high is poured out on us. Then the desert will become an orchard, and the orchard will seem like a forest.³⁰

³¹Then justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the orchard.³²

³³The result of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever.³⁴

³⁵Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place, in safe and secure dwellings.³⁶

³⁷But hail will level the forest, and the city will sink into the depths.³⁸

³⁹You will be happy as you sow seed beside abundant water, and as you let oxen and donkeys range freely.⁴⁰