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Isaiah 32-33
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Isaiah 32-33
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Government with Justice Predicted
32 See, a king will reign in righteousness,
and princes[a] will rule with justice.(A)
2 Each will be like a hiding place from the wind,
a covert from the tempest,
like streams of water in a dry place,
like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.(B)
3 Then the eyes of those who have sight will not be closed,
and the ears of those who have hearing will listen.(C)
4 The minds of the rash will have good judgment,
and the tongues of stammerers will speak readily and distinctly.(D)
5 A fool will no longer be called noble
nor a villain said to be honorable.(E)
6 For fools speak folly,
and their minds plot iniquity:
to practice ungodliness,
to utter error concerning the Lord,
to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied,
and to deprive the thirsty of drink.(F)
7 The villainies of villains are evil;
they devise wicked devices
to ruin the poor with lying words,
even when the plea of the needy is right.(G)
8 But those who are noble plan noble things,
and by noble things they stand.(H)
Complacent Women Warned of Disaster
9 Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice;
you complacent daughters, listen to my speech.(I)
10 In little more than a year
you will shudder, you complacent ones,
for the vintage will fail;
the fruit harvest will not come.(J)
11 Tremble, you women who are at ease;
shudder, you complacent ones;
strip and make yourselves bare,
and put sackcloth on your loins.(K)
12 Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,[b]
for the fruitful vine,(L)
13 for the soil of my people
growing up in thorns and briers,
yes, for all the joyous houses
in the jubilant city.(M)
14 For the palace will be forsaken,
the populous city deserted;
the hill and the watchtower
will become dens forever,
the joy of wild asses,
a pasture for flocks;(N)
15 until a spirit from on high is poured out on us,
and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.(O)
The Peace of God’s Reign
16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness
and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.(P)
17 The effect of righteousness will be peace,
and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.(Q)
18 My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,
in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
19 The forest will disappear completely,[c]
and the city will be utterly laid low.(R)
20 Happy will you be who sow beside every stream,
who let the ox and the donkey range freely.(S)
A Prophecy of Deliverance from Foes
33 Woe to the destroyer,
who yourself have not been destroyed;
you treacherous one,
with whom no one has dealt treacherously!
When you have ceased to destroy,
you will be destroyed;
and when you have stopped dealing treacherously,
you will be dealt with treacherously.(T)
2 O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you.
Be our arm every morning,
our salvation in the time of trouble.(U)
3 At the sound of tumult, peoples fled;
before your majesty, nations scattered.(V)
4 Spoil was gathered as the caterpillar gathers;
as locusts leap, they leaped[d] upon it.
5 The Lord is exalted; he dwells on high;
he filled Zion with justice and righteousness;(W)
6 he will be the stability of your times,
abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.[e](X)
7 Listen! The people of Ariel[f] cry out in the streets;
the envoys of peace weep bitterly.(Y)
8 The highways are deserted;
travelers have quit the road.
The treaty is broken;
its oaths[g] are despised,
the people are disregarded.
9 The land mourns and languishes;
Lebanon is confounded and withers away;
Sharon is like a desert,
and Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.
10 “Now I will arise,” says the Lord,
“now I will lift myself up;
now I will be exalted.
11 You conceive chaff; you bring forth stubble;
wind like a fire[h] will consume you.
12 And the peoples will be as if burned to lime,
like thorns cut down that are burned in the fire.”
13 Hear, you who are far away, what I have done,
and you who are near, acknowledge my might.
14 The sinners in Zion are afraid;
trembling has seized the godless:
“Who among us can live with the devouring fire?
Who among us can live with everlasting flames?”
15 Those who walk righteously and speak uprightly,
who despise the gain of oppression,
who wave away a bribe instead of accepting it,
who stop their ears from hearing of bloodshed
and shut their eyes from looking on evil,
16 they will live on the heights;
their refuge will be the fortresses of rocks;
their food will be supplied, their water assured.
The Land of the Majestic King
17 Your eyes will see the king in his beauty;
they will behold a land that stretches far away.
18 Your mind will muse on the terror:
“Where is the one who counted?
Where is the one who weighed the tribute?
Where is the one who counted the towers?”(Z)
19 No longer will you see the insolent people,
the people of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend,
stammering in a language that you cannot understand.(AA)
20 Look on Zion, the city of our appointed festivals!
Your eyes will see Jerusalem,
a quiet habitation, an immovable tent
whose stakes will never be pulled up
and none of whose ropes will be broken.(AB)
21 But there the Lord in majesty will be for us
a place of broad rivers and streams
where no galley with oars can go
nor stately ship can pass.(AC)
22 For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our ruler;
the Lord is our king; he will save us.(AD)
23 Your rigging hangs loose;
it cannot hold the mast firm in its place
or keep the sail spread out.
Then the blind will divide abundant spoil,[i]
and the lame will take plunder.(AE)
24 And no inhabitant will say, “I am sick”;
the people who live there will be forgiven their iniquity.(AF)
Footnotes
Isaiah 32-33
New International Version
Isaiah 32-33
New International Version
The Kingdom of Righteousness
32 See, a king(A) will reign in righteousness
and rulers will rule with justice.(B)
2 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.
3 Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,(G)
and the ears(H) of those who hear will listen.
4 The fearful heart will know and understand,(I)
and the stammering tongue(J) will be fluent and clear.
5 No longer will the fool(K) be called noble
nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
6 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.
7 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)
8 But the noble make noble plans,
and by noble deeds(U) they stand.(V)
The Women of Jerusalem
9 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)
2 Lord, be gracious(BK) to us;
we long for you.
Be our strength(BL) every morning,
our salvation(BM) in time of distress.(BN)
3 At the uproar of your army,(BO) the peoples flee;(BP)
when you rise up,(BQ) the nations scatter.
4 Your plunder,(BR) O nations, is harvested(BS) as by young locusts;(BT)
like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.
5 The Lord is exalted,(BU) for he dwells on high;(BV)
he will fill Zion with his justice(BW) and righteousness.(BX)
6 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)
7 Look, their brave men(CB) cry aloud in the streets;
the envoys(CC) of peace weep bitterly.
8 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.
9 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.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 33:6 Or is a treasure from him
- Isaiah 33:8 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text / the cities
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.