32 Look! A king is coming who will rule in a right and fair way.
Honest leaders will rule under his authority.
2 Each leader will be like a safe place to hide
from strong winds and storms.
He will be like streams of water in a desert.
And he will be like the shadow of a great rock in a hot, dry land.
3 At that time, everyone who has eyes will be able to see clearly.
Everyone who has ears will be able to listen well.
4 People who do things too quickly will stop and think first.
Those who cannot speak well will be able to talk clearly.
5 Nobody will praise a stupid person.
Nobody will respect people who cheat others.
6 Stupid people say silly things.
They think of evil things that they can do.
They live in a way that does not respect God.
The things that they teach about the Lord are false.
They keep food away from hungry people.
They give no drink to thirsty people.
7 Cruel people do evil things to deceive others.
They think of ways that they can cheat their friends.
They tell lies to give trouble to poor people.
So poor people do not receive the justice that they deserve.
8 But good people think of ways that they can be kind to others.
They do the good things that they have decided to do.
9 You women, listen carefully to what I say to you!
You think that you have no problems.
You feel very safe.
But listen to me!
10 Now, you think that you are safe,
but in one year's time, you will shake with fear.
There will be no grapes at harvest time.
You will pick no fruit from your trees.
11 You think that you have no problems,
but you should be afraid.
Yes, shake with fear!
Take off all your beautiful clothes.
Tie rough cloth round your legs instead.
12 Weep and hit your breasts,
because your good fields have no crops,
and your vines have no grapes.
13 Weep because of what has happened to my people's land.
Only thorn bushes and weeds grow there.
Weep because there are no longer any happy homes.
There are no more parties in the city.
14 Nobody will remain in the king's great palace.
The city that is now full of people will be empty.
The city's hill and its strong buildings
will become heaps of stones for ever.
Wild donkeys will play in those places,
and sheep will find grass to eat.
15 It will be like that until God pours a new spirit on us from heaven.
Then, deserts will become fields of fruit trees.
And fields of fruit trees will seem like forests.
16 Everywhere, people will be honest and fair,
in the deserts as well as in the fields.
17 People will do things that are right,
so there will be peace.
People will always be safe.
18 My people will live safely and quietly in their homes.
They will not be afraid of trouble.
19 A storm of hail may destroy the forest.
The buildings in the city may all fall down too.
20 But still the Lord will bless you.
You will plant your seeds beside streams of water.
You will send your cows and donkeys into the fields,
and they will have plenty of grass to eat.
32 Listen to what I say! A king should rule in a way that brings justice. Leaders should make fair decisions when they lead the people. 2 If this would happen, the king [ a ] would be like a shelter to hide from the wind and rain, like streams of water in a dry land, and like the cool shadow of a large rock in a hot land. 3 Then people would actually see what they look at. They would actually listen to what they hear. 4 People who are now confused would be able to understand. Those who cannot speak clearly now would be able to speak clearly and quickly. 5 Fools would not be called great men. People would not respect men who make secret plans.
6 Fools [ b ] say foolish things, and in their minds they plan evil things to do. They want to do what is wrong. They say bad things about the Lord . They don’t let hungry people eat their food. They don’t let thirsty people drink the water. 7 They use evil like a tool and plan ways to steal from the poor. They tell lies about the poor and keep them from being judged fairly.
8 But a good leader plans good things to do, and that will make him a leader over other leaders.
9 Some of you women are calm now; you feel safe. But you should stand and listen to the words I say. 10 You feel safe now, but after one year you will be troubled. That is because you will not gather grapes next year—there will be no grapes to gather.
11 Women, you are calm now, but you should be afraid. You feel safe now, but you should be worried. Take off your nice clothes and put on sackcloth. Wrap it around your waist. 12 Beat your breasts in sorrow. Cry because your fields are empty. Your vineyards once gave grapes, but now they are empty. 13 Cry for the land of my people. Cry because only thorns and weeds will grow there. Cry for the city and for all the houses that were once filled with joy.
14 People will leave the capital city. The palace and towers will be left empty. People will not live in houses—they will live in caves. Wild donkeys and sheep will live in the city—animals will go there to eat grass.
15 This will continue until God gives us his Spirit from above. Then the desert will become rich farmland and the farmland will be like thick forests. 16 That is, what is now a desert will be filled with right decisions, and what is now a farmland will be filled with justice. 17 That justice will bring peace and safety forever. 18 My people will be safe in their homes and in their calm, peaceful fields.
19 But before this happens, the forest must fall and the city must be torn down. 20 Some of you live away from the cities. You plant seeds by every stream and let your cattle and donkeys roam free. You will be very blessed.
32 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.
2 And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
3 And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.
4 The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.
5 The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.
6 For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord , to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
7 The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.
8 But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.
9 Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.
10 Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.
11 Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.
12 They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.
13 Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city:
14 Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;
15 Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.
16 Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.
17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;
19 When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.
20 Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.
32 Behold, a ( A ) king will reign righteously,
And officials will rule justly.
2 Each will be like a ( B ) refuge from the wind
And a shelter from the storm,
Like [ a ] ( C ) streams of water in a dry country,
Like the ( D ) shade of a [ b ] huge rock in an exhausted land.
3 Then ( E ) the eyes of those who see will not be [ c ] blinded,
And the ears of those who hear will listen.
4 The [ d ] mind of the ( F ) rash will discern the [ e ] truth,
And the tongue of the stammerers will hurry to speak clearly.
5 No longer will the ( G ) fool be called noble,
Or the rogue be spoken of as generous.
6 For a fool speaks nonsense,
And his heart [ f ] ( H ) inclines toward wickedness:
To practice ( I ) ungodliness and to speak error against the Lord ,
To [ g ] ( J ) keep the hungry person unsatisfied
And [ h ] to withhold drink from the thirsty.
7 As for a rogue, his weapons are evil;
He ( K ) devises wicked schemes
To ( L ) destroy the poor with [ i ] slander,
( M ) Even though the needy one speaks [ j ] what is right.
8 But ( N ) the noble person devises noble plans;
And by noble plans he stands.
9 Rise up, you ( O ) women who are at ease,
And hear my voice;
( P ) Listen to my word,
You complacent daughters.
10 Within a year and a few days
You will be troubled, you complacent daughters ;
( Q ) For the vintage is ended,
And the fruit gathering will not come.
11 Tremble, you women who are at ease;
( R ) Be troubled, you complacent daughters ;
( S ) Strip, undress, and put sackcloth on your waist,
12 ( T ) Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine,
13 ( U ) For the land of my people in which thorns and briars will come up;
Indeed, for all the joyful houses and for the ( V ) jubilant city.
14 For ( W ) the palace has been neglected, the [ k ] populated ( X ) city abandoned.
[ l ] Hill and watch-tower have become ( Y ) caves forever,
A delight for ( Z ) wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks,
15 Until the ( AA ) Spirit is poured out upon us from on high,
And the wilderness becomes a ( AB ) fertile field,
And the fertile field is considered as a forest.
16 Then ( AC ) justice will dwell in the wilderness,
And righteousness will remain in the fertile field.
17 And the ( AD ) work of righteousness will be peace,
And the service of righteousness, ( AE ) quietness and [ m ] confidence forever.
18 Then my people will live in a ( AF ) peaceful settlement,
In secure dwellings, and in undisturbed ( AG ) resting places;
19 And it will ( AH ) hail when the ( AI ) forest comes down,
And ( AJ ) the city will be utterly laid low.
20 How ( AK ) blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters,
Who [ n ] let the ox and the donkey out freely.
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 )
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 )
