Isaiah 32
1 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.
Listen to this! Some day there will be a righteous king, and his officials will help him to rule justly/fairly.
2 And a man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the storm; as brooks of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.
Each [of them] will be like [MET] a shelter from the wind and a (refuge/place to be protected) from the storm. They will be like [SIM] streams of water in the desert, like the shade under a huge rock in a very hot and dry land.
3 And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken;
When that happens, [those leaders will enable] people who have not understood [MET] [God’s truth] to understand it, and [they will enable] those who have not paid attention to [MET] [God’s truth] to pay attention to it.
4 and the heart of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.
[Even] those who act very hastily will have good sense, and those who cannot speak well will speak fluently and clearly.
5 The vile man shall be no more called noble, nor the churl said to be bountiful:
[At that time], people who are foolish/unwise will no longer be (admired/looked up to), and scoundrels will no longer be respected.
6 for the vile man will speak villainy, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against Jehovah, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
Foolish people say things that are foolish, and they plan to do evil things. Their behavior is disgraceful, and they say things about Yahweh that are false. They do not give food to those who are hungry, and they do not give water to those who are thirsty.
7 The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the meek with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.
Scoundrels do things that are evil and that deceive people; they plan to do evil things; by telling lies [in court] they cause poor people to (have trouble/be convicted), even when what the poor [people] are requesting is fair/just.
8 But the noble deviseth noble things; and to noble things doth he stand.
But honorable people plan to do honorable/good things, and they do the honorable/good things that they plan to do.
9 Rise up, ye women that are at ease, hear my voice; ye careless daughters, give ear unto my speech.
You women [of Jerusalem] who think that you are very secure/safe and think that everything is going well, listen to [IDM] what I say!
10 In a year and [some] days shall ye be troubled, ye careless women; for the vintage shall fail, the ingathering shall not come.
One year from now, you who now (are not worried about anything/think that everything is going well) will tremble, because there will be no grapes for you to harvest and no [other] crops to harvest.
11 Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones; strip you, and make you bare, and gird [sackcloth] on your loins!
[So] tremble [now], you women who are not worried about anything! Take off your [fancy] clothes and put rough sackcloth around your waists.
12 They shall smite on the breasts [in lamentation] for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vineyards.
Beat/Hit your breasts to show that you are grieving about [what will happen in] your fertile fields and to your fruitful grapevines,
13 Upon the land of my people shall come up thistles [and] briars, yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city.
because [only] thorns and thistles will grow in your soil. Your houses where you had joyful parties and your city where you have been happy will be gone.
14 For the palace shall be deserted, the multitude of the city shall be forsaken; hill and watchtower shall be caves for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;
The [king’s] palace will be empty; there will be no people in the city that [now] is very noisy. Wild donkeys will walk around and flocks of sheep will eat grass in the empty forts and watchtowers.
15 until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.
[It will be like that] until God pours his Spirit out on us from heaven. [When that happens], the deserts will become fertile fields, and abundant crops will grow in those fertile fields.
16 And judgment shall inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness dwell in the fruitful field.
People [PRS] will act/rule justly/fairly in those desert areas, and people will act/rule righteously in those fertile fields.
17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever.
And the result of their acting righteously will be that there will be peace, the land will be tranquil/quiet, and people will be secure/safe forever.
18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting-places.
My people will live in their homes peacefully, and safely, and calmly, in places of rest.
19 And it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.
[Even if a severe] hailstorm knocks down [the trees in] the forest, and [all the buildings in] the city are blown down,
20 Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth the feet of the ox and the ass.
Yahweh [will greatly] bless you; you will plant [seeds in fields] alongside the streams [and there will be abundant crops]. Your donkeys and cattle will easily find grass to eat.
