The Righteous Kingdom Announced

32 Indeed, a king will reign righteously,
and rulers will rule justly.(A)
Each 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.
Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed,
and the ears of those who hear will listen.(D)
The reckless mind will gain knowledge,
and the stammering tongue(E) will speak clearly and fluently.
A fool will no longer be called a noble,(F)
nor a scoundrel said to be important.
For 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)
The scoundrel’s weapons are destructive;
he hatches plots to destroy the needy with lies,
even when the poor says what is right.
But a noble person plans noble things;
he stands up for noble causes.

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

The Lord Rises Up

33 Woe, you destroyer never destroyed,
you traitor never betrayed!
When you have finished destroying,
you will be destroyed.
When you have finished betraying,
they will betray you.(T)

Lord, be gracious to us! We wait for You.(U)
Be our strength every morning
and our salvation in time of trouble.(V)
The peoples flee at the thunderous noise;(W)
the nations scatter when You rise in Your majesty.
Your spoil will be gathered as locusts are gathered;
people will swarm over it like an infestation of locusts.
The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high;
He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
There will be times of security for you—
a storehouse of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.
The fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.(X)

Listen! Their warriors cry loudly in the streets;
the messengers of peace weep bitterly.(Y)
The highways are deserted;
travel has ceased.
An agreement has been broken,(Z)
cities[b] despised,
and human life disregarded.
The land mourns and withers;(AA)
Lebanon is ashamed and decayed.
Sharon is like a desert;
Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.
10 “Now I will rise up,”(AB) says the Lord.
“Now I will lift Myself up.
Now I will be exalted.
11 You will conceive chaff;(AC)
you will give birth to stubble.
Your breath is fire that will consume you.
12 The peoples will be burned to ashes,
like thorns cut down and burned in a fire.
13 You who are far off, hear what I have done;
you who are near,(AD) know My strength.”

14 The sinners in Zion are afraid;
trembling seizes the ungodly:
“Who among us can dwell with a consuming fire?(AE)
Who among us can dwell with ever-burning flames?”
15 The one who lives righteously
and speaks rightly,(AF)
who refuses gain from extortion,
whose hand never takes a bribe,
who stops his ears from listening to murderous plots[c]
and shuts his eyes to avoid endorsing evil[d](AG)
16 he will dwell on the heights;
his refuge will be the rocky fortresses,
his food provided, his water assured.

17 Your eyes will see the King in His beauty;(AH)
you will see a vast land.(AI)
18 Your mind will meditate on the past terror:
“Where is the accountant?[e]
Where is the tribute collector?[f]
Where is the one who spied out our defenses?”[g]
19 You will no longer see the barbarians,
a people whose speech is difficult to comprehend—
who stammer in a language that is not understood.(AJ)
20 Look at Zion, the city of our festival times.
Your eyes will see Jerusalem,
a peaceful pasture,(AK) a tent that does not wander;
its tent pegs will not be pulled up
nor will any of its cords be loosened.(AL)
21 For the majestic One, our Lord, will be there,(AM)
a place of rivers and broad streams
where ships that are rowed will not go,
and majestic vessels will not pass.(AN)
22 For the Lord is our Judge,
the Lord is our lawgiver,(AO)
the Lord is our King.
He will save us.(AP)
23 Your ropes are slack;
they cannot hold the base of the mast
or spread out the flag.
Then abundant spoil will be divided,
the lame will plunder it,
24 and none there will say, “I am sick.”
The people who dwell there
will be forgiven(AQ) their iniquity.(AR)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 32:19 Hb obscure
  2. Isaiah 33:8 DSS read witnesses
  3. Isaiah 33:15 Lit to bloods
  4. Isaiah 33:15 Lit eyes from seeing evil
  5. Isaiah 33:18 Lit counter
  6. Isaiah 33:18 Lit weigher
  7. Isaiah 33:18 Lit who counts towers

The Kingdom of Righteousness

32 See, a king(A) will reign in righteousness
    and rulers will rule with justice.(B)
Each one will be like a shelter(C) from the wind
    and a refuge from the storm,(D)
like streams of water(E) in the desert(F)
    and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,(G)
    and the ears(H) of those who hear will listen.
The fearful heart will know and understand,(I)
    and the stammering tongue(J) will be fluent and clear.
No longer will the fool(K) be called noble
    nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
For fools speak folly,(L)
    their hearts are bent on evil:(M)
They practice ungodliness(N)
    and spread error(O) concerning the Lord;
the hungry they leave empty(P)
    and from the thirsty they withhold water.
Scoundrels use wicked methods,(Q)
    they make up evil schemes(R)
to destroy the poor with lies,
    even when the plea of the needy(S) is just.(T)
But the noble make noble plans,
    and by noble deeds(U) they stand.(V)

The Women of Jerusalem

You women(W) who are so complacent,
    rise up and listen(X) to me;
you daughters who feel secure,(Y)
    hear what I have to say!
10 In little more than a year(Z)
    you who feel secure will tremble;
the grape harvest will fail,(AA)
    and the harvest of fruit will not come.
11 Tremble,(AB) you complacent women;
    shudder, you daughters who feel secure!(AC)
Strip off your fine clothes(AD)
    and wrap yourselves in rags.(AE)
12 Beat your breasts(AF) for the pleasant fields,
    for the fruitful vines(AG)
13 and for the land of my people,
    a land overgrown with thorns and briers(AH)
yes, mourn(AI) for all houses of merriment
    and for this city of revelry.(AJ)
14 The fortress(AK) will be abandoned,
    the noisy city deserted;(AL)
citadel and watchtower(AM) will become a wasteland forever,
    the delight of donkeys,(AN) a pasture for flocks,(AO)
15 till the Spirit(AP) is poured on us from on high,
    and the desert becomes a fertile field,(AQ)
    and the fertile field seems like a forest.(AR)
16 The Lord’s justice(AS) will dwell in the desert,(AT)
    his righteousness(AU) live in the fertile field.
17 The fruit of that righteousness(AV) will be peace;(AW)
    its effect will be quietness and confidence(AX) forever.
18 My people will live in peaceful(AY) dwelling places,
    in secure homes,(AZ)
    in undisturbed places of rest.(BA)
19 Though hail(BB) flattens the forest(BC)
    and the city is leveled(BD) completely,
20 how blessed you will be,
    sowing(BE) your seed by every stream,(BF)
    and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.(BG)

Distress and Help

33 Woe(BH) to you, destroyer,
    you who have not been destroyed!
Woe to you, betrayer,
    you who have not been betrayed!
When you stop destroying,
    you will be destroyed;(BI)
when you stop betraying,
    you will be betrayed.(BJ)

Lord, be gracious(BK) to us;
    we long for you.
Be our strength(BL) every morning,
    our salvation(BM) in time of distress.(BN)
At the uproar of your army,(BO) the peoples flee;(BP)
    when you rise up,(BQ) the nations scatter.
Your plunder,(BR) O nations, is harvested(BS) as by young locusts;(BT)
    like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.

The Lord is exalted,(BU) for he dwells on high;(BV)
    he will fill Zion with his justice(BW) and righteousness.(BX)
He will be the sure foundation for your times,
    a rich store of salvation(BY) and wisdom and knowledge;
    the fear(BZ) of the Lord is the key to this treasure.[a](CA)

Look, their brave men(CB) cry aloud in the streets;
    the envoys(CC) of peace weep bitterly.
The highways are deserted,
    no travelers(CD) are on the roads.(CE)
The treaty is broken,(CF)
    its witnesses[b] are despised,
    no one is respected.
The land dries up(CG) and wastes away,
    Lebanon(CH) is ashamed and withers;(CI)
Sharon(CJ) is like the Arabah,
    and Bashan(CK) and Carmel(CL) drop their leaves.

10 “Now will I arise,(CM)” says the Lord.
    “Now will I be exalted;(CN)
    now will I be lifted up.
11 You conceive(CO) chaff,
    you give birth(CP) to straw;
    your breath is a fire(CQ) that consumes you.
12 The peoples will be burned to ashes;(CR)
    like cut thornbushes(CS) they will be set ablaze.(CT)

13 You who are far away,(CU) hear(CV) what I have done;
    you who are near, acknowledge my power!
14 The sinners(CW) in Zion are terrified;
    trembling(CX) grips the godless:
“Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?(CY)
    Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?”
15 Those who walk righteously(CZ)
    and speak what is right,(DA)
who reject gain from extortion(DB)
    and keep their hands from accepting bribes,(DC)
who stop their ears against plots of murder
    and shut their eyes(DD) against contemplating evil—
16 they are the ones who will dwell on the heights,(DE)
    whose refuge(DF) will be the mountain fortress.(DG)
Their bread will be supplied,
    and water will not fail(DH) them.

17 Your eyes will see the king(DI) in his beauty(DJ)
    and view a land that stretches afar.(DK)
18 In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:(DL)
    “Where is that chief officer?
Where is the one who took the revenue?
    Where is the officer in charge of the towers?(DM)
19 You will see those arrogant people(DN) no more,
    people whose speech is obscure,
    whose language is strange and incomprehensible.(DO)

20 Look on Zion,(DP) the city of our festivals;
    your eyes will see Jerusalem,
    a peaceful abode,(DQ) a tent(DR) that will not be moved;(DS)
its stakes will never be pulled up,
    nor any of its ropes broken.
21 There the Lord will be our Mighty(DT) One.
    It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.(DU)
No galley with oars will ride them,
    no mighty ship(DV) will sail them.
22 For the Lord is our judge,(DW)
    the Lord is our lawgiver,(DX)
the Lord is our king;(DY)
    it is he who will save(DZ) us.

23 Your rigging hangs loose:
    The mast is not held secure,
    the sail is not spread.
Then an abundance of spoils will be divided
    and even the lame(EA) will carry off plunder.(EB)
24 No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”;(EC)
    and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.(ED)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 33:6 Or is a treasure from him
  2. Isaiah 33:8 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text / the cities