Isaiah 32

1 Listen to this! Some day there will be a righteous king, and his officials will help him to rule justly/fairly.

Behold! a king shall reign in righteousness, And princes shall rule with equity.

2 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.

Every one of them shall be a hiding-place from the wind, And a shelter from the tempest; As streams of water in a dry place, As the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

3 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.

The eyes of them that see shall no more be blind, And the ears of them that hear shall hearken.

4 [Even] those who act very hastily will have good sense, and those who cannot speak well will speak fluently and clearly.

The heart of the rash shall gain wisdom, And the tongue of the stammerer learn to speak plainly.

5 [At that time], people who are foolish/unwise will no longer be (admired/looked up to), and scoundrels will no longer be respected.

The vile shall no more be called liberal, Nor the niggard said to be bountiful;

6 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.

For the vile will still utter villany, And his heart will devise iniquity; He will practise deception, and speak impiety against God; He will take away the food of the hungry, And deprive the thirsty of drink.

7 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.

The instruments also of the niggard are evil; He plotteth mischievous devices, To destroy the poor with lying words, Even when the cause of the needy is just.

8 But honorable people plan to do honorable/good things, and they do the honorable/good things that they plan to do.

But the liberal deviseth liberal things, And in liberal things will he persevere.

9 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!

Arise, hear my voice, ye women that are at ease! Give ear to my speech, ye careless daughters!

10 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.

One year more, and ye shall tremble, ye careless women! For the vintage shall fail; the harvest shall not come.

11 [So] tremble [now], you women who are not worried about anything! Take off your [fancy] clothes and put rough sackcloth around your waists.

Tremble, O ye that are at ease! Be in dismay, ye careless ones! Strip you, make you bare, gird ye sackcloth upon your loins!

12 Beat/Hit your breasts to show that you are grieving about [what will happen in] your fertile fields and to your fruitful grapevines,

They shall smite themselves on their breasts, On account of the pleasant fields, On account of the fruitful vine.

13 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.

Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; Yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city.

14 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.

For the palace shall be forsaken; The tumult of the city shall be solitary; The fortified hill and the tower shall be dens forever; The joy of wild-asses, the pasture of flocks;

15 [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.

Until the spirit from on high be poured upon us, And the wilderness become a fruitful field, And the fruitful field be esteemed a forest.

16 People [PRS] will act/rule justly/fairly in those desert areas, and people will act/rule righteously in those fertile fields.

Then shall justice dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness in the fruitful field.

17 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.

And the effect of righteousness shall be peace, And the fruit of righteousness quiet and security forever.

18 My people will live in their homes peacefully, and safely, and calmly, in places of rest.

Then shall my people dwell in peaceful habitations, In secure dwellings, in quiet resting-places.

19 [Even if a severe] hailstorm knocks down [the trees in] the forest, and [all the buildings in] the city are blown down,

But the hail shall descend, and the forest shall fall; And the city shall be brought very low.

20 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.

Happy ye who sow beside all waters; Who send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass!