32:1 Look, a king will promote fairness; 1
officials will promote justice. 2
32:2 Each of them 3 will be like a shelter from the wind
and a refuge from a rainstorm;
like streams of water in a dry region
and like the shade of a large cliff in a parched land.
32:3 Eyes 4 will no longer be blind 5
and ears 6 will be attentive.
32:4 The mind that acts rashly will possess discernment 7
and the tongue that stutters will speak with ease and clarity.
32:5 A fool will no longer be called honorable;
a deceiver will no longer be called principled.
32:6 For a fool speaks disgraceful things; 8
his mind plans out sinful deeds. 9
He commits godless deeds 10
and says misleading things about the Lord;
he gives the hungry nothing to satisfy their appetite 11
and gives the thirsty nothing to drink. 12
32:7 A deceiver’s methods are evil; 13
he dreams up evil plans 14
to ruin the poor with lies,
even when the needy are in the right. 15
32:8 An honorable man makes honorable plans;
his honorable character gives him security. 16
32:9 You complacent 17 women,
get up and listen to me!
You carefree 18 daughters,
pay attention to what I say!
32:10 In a year’s time 19
you carefree ones will shake with fear,
for the grape 20 harvest will fail,
and the fruit harvest will not arrive.
32:11 Tremble, you complacent ones!
Shake with fear, you carefree ones!
Strip off your clothes and expose yourselves –
put sackcloth on your waist! 21
32:12 Mourn over the field, 22
over the delightful fields
and the fruitful vine!
32:13 Mourn 23 over the land of my people,
which is overgrown with thorns and briers,
and over all the once-happy houses 24
in the city filled with revelry. 25
32:14 For the fortress is neglected;
the once-crowded 26 city is abandoned.
Hill 27 and watchtower
are permanently uninhabited. 28
Wild donkeys love to go there,
and flocks graze there. 29
32:15 This desolation will continue until new life is poured out on us from heaven. 30
Then the desert will become an orchard
and the orchard will be considered a forest. 31
32:16 Justice will settle down in the desert
and fairness will live in the orchard. 32
32:17 Fairness will produce peace 33
and result in lasting security. 34
32:18 My people will live in peaceful settlements,
in secure homes,
and in safe, quiet places. 35
32:19 Even if the forest is destroyed 36
and the city is annihilated, 37
32:20 you will be blessed,
you who plant seed by all the banks of the streams, 38
you who let your ox and donkey graze. 39
33:1 The destroyer is as good as dead, 40
you who have not been destroyed!
The deceitful one is as good as dead, 41
the one whom others have not deceived!
When you are through destroying, you will be destroyed;
when you finish 42 deceiving, others will deceive you!
33:2 Lord, be merciful to us! We wait for you.
Give us strength each morning! 43
Deliver us when distress comes. 44
33:3 The nations run away when they hear a loud noise; 45
the nations scatter when you spring into action! 46
33:4 Your plunder 47 disappears as if locusts were eating it; 48
they swarm over it like locusts! 49
33:5 The Lord is exalted, 50
indeed, 51 he lives in heaven; 52
he fills Zion with justice and fairness.
33:6 He is your constant source of stability; 53
he abundantly provides safety and great wisdom; 54
he gives all this to those who fear him. 55
33:7 Look, ambassadors 56 cry out in the streets;
messengers sent to make peace 57 weep bitterly.
33:8 Highways are empty, 58
there are no travelers. 59
Treaties are broken, 60
witnesses are despised, 61
human life is treated with disrespect. 62
33:9 The land 63 dries up 64 and withers away;
the forest of Lebanon shrivels up 65 and decays.
Sharon 66 is like the desert; 67
Bashan and Carmel 68 are parched. 69
33:10 “Now I will rise up,” says the Lord.
“Now I will exalt myself;
now I will magnify myself. 70
33:11 You conceive straw, 71
you give birth to chaff;
your breath is a fire that destroys you. 72
33:12 The nations will be burned to ashes; 73
like thorn bushes that have been cut down, they will be set on fire.
33:13 You who are far away, listen to what I have done!
You who are close by, recognize my strength!”
33:14 Sinners are afraid in Zion;
panic 74 grips the godless. 75
They say, 76 ‘Who among us can coexist with destructive fire?
Who among us can coexist with unquenchable 77 fire?’
33:15 The one who lives 78 uprightly 79
and speaks honestly;
the one who refuses to profit from oppressive measures
and rejects a bribe; 80
the one who does not plot violent crimes 81
and does not seek to harm others 82 –
33:16 This is the person who will live in a secure place; 83
he will find safety in the rocky, mountain strongholds; 84
he will have food
and a constant supply of water.
33:17 You will see a king in his splendor; 85
you will see a wide land. 86
33:18 Your mind will recall the terror you experienced, 87
and you will ask yourselves, 88 “Where is the scribe?
Where is the one who weighs the money?
Where is the one who counts the towers?” 89
33:19 You will no longer see a defiant 90 people
whose language you do not comprehend, 91
whose derisive speech you do not understand. 92
33:20 Look at Zion, the city where we hold religious festivals!
You 93 will see Jerusalem, 94
a peaceful settlement,
a tent that stays put; 95
its stakes will never be pulled up;
none of its ropes will snap in two.
33:21 Instead the Lord will rule there as our mighty king. 96
Rivers and wide streams will flow through it; 97
no war galley will enter; 98
no large ships will sail through. 99
33:22 For the Lord, our ruler,
the Lord, our commander,
the Lord, our king –
he will deliver us.
33:23 Though at this time your ropes are slack, 100
the mast is not secured, 101
and the sail 102 is not unfurled,
at that time you will divide up a great quantity of loot; 103
even the lame will drag off plunder. 104
33:24 No resident of Zion 105 will say, “I am ill”;
the people who live there will have their sin forgiven.
1 tn Heb “will reign according to fairness.”
2 tn Heb “will rule according to justice.”
3 tn Heb “a man,” but אִישׁ (’ish) probably refers here to “each” of the officials mentioned in the previous verse.
4 tn Heb “Eyes that see.”
5 tn The Hebrew text as vocalized reads literally “will not gaze,” but this is contradictory to the context. The verb form should be revocalized as תְּשֹׁעֶינָה (tÿsho’enah) from שָׁעַע (sha’a’, “be blinded”); see Isa 6:10; 29:9.
6 tn Heb “ears that hear.”
7 tn Heb “the heart of rashness will understand knowledge”; cf. NAB “The flighty will become wise and capable.”
8 tn Or “foolishness,” in a moral-ethical sense. See 9:17.
9 tn Heb “and his heart commits sin”; KJV, ASV “his heart will work iniquity”; NASB “inclines toward wickedness.”
10 tn Heb “in order to do [or “so that he does”] what is godless [or “defiled”].”
11 tn Heb “so that he leaves empty the appetite [or “desire”] of the hungry.”
12 tn Heb “and the drink of the thirsty he causes to fail.”
13 tn Heb “as for a deceiver, his implements [or “weapons”] are evil.”
14 tn Or “he plans evil things”; NIV “he makes up evil schemes.”
15 tn Heb “to ruin the poor with words of falsehood, even when the needy speak what is just.”
16 tn Heb “and he upon honorable things stands.”
17 tn Or “self-assured”; NASB, NRSV “who are at ease.”
18 tn Or “self-confident”; NAB “overconfident.”
19 tn Heb “days upon a year.”
20 tn Or perhaps, “olive.” See 24:13.
21 tn The imperatival forms in v. 11 are problematic. The first (חִרְדוּ, khirdu, “tremble”) is masculine plural in form, though spoken to a feminine plural addressee (שַׁאֲנַנּוֹת, sha’anannot, “complacent ones”). The four imperatival forms that follow (רְגָזָה, rÿgazah, “shake with fear”; פְּשֹׁטָה, pÿshotah, “strip off your clothes”; עֹרָה, ’orah, “expose yourselves”; and חֲגוֹרָה, khagorah, “put on”) all appear to be lengthened (so-called “emphatic”) masculine singular forms, even though they too appear to be spoken to a feminine plural addressee. GKC 131-32 §48.i suggests emending חִרְדוּ (khirdu) to חֲרָדָה (kharadah) and understanding all five imperatives as feminine plural “aramaized” forms.
22 tc The Hebrew text has “over mourning breasts.” The reference to “breasts” would make sense in light of v. 11, which refers to the practice of women baring their breasts as a sign of sorrow (see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:585). However, one expects the preposition עַל (’al) to introduce the source or reason for mourning (see vv. 12b-13a) and the participle סֹפְדִים (sofedim, “mourning”) seems odd modifying “breasts.” The translation above assumes a twofold emendation: (1) שָׁדַיִם (shadayim, “breasts”) is emended to [ם]שָׂדַי (saday[m], “field,” a term that also appears in Isa 56:9). The final mem (ם) would be enclitic in this case, not a plural indicator. (The Hebrew noun שָׂדֶה (sadeh, “field”) forms its plural with an וֹת- [-ot] ending). (2) The plural participle סֹפְדִים is emended to סְפֹדָה (sÿfodah), a lengthened imperatival form, meaning “mourn.” For an overview of various suggestions that have been made for this difficult line, see Oswalt, 586, n. 12).
23 tn “Mourn” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 12-13 are one long sentence.
24 tn Heb “indeed, over all the houses of joy.” It is not certain if this refers to individual homes or to places where parties and celebrations were held.
25 sn This same phrase is used in 22:2.
26 tn Or “noisy” (NAB, NIV, NCV).
27 tn Hebrew עֹפֶל (’ofel), probably refers here to a specific area within the city of Jerusalem. See HALOT 861 s.v. II עֹפֶל.
28 tn The Hebrew text has בְעַד מְעָרוֹת (vÿ’ad mÿ’arot). The force of בְעַד, which usually means “behind, through, round about,” or “for the benefit of,” is uncertain here. HALOT 616 s.v. *מְעָרָה takes מְעָרוֹת (mÿ’arot) as a homonym of “cave” and define it here as “cleared field.” Despite these lexical problems, the general point of the statement seems clear – the city will be uninhabited.
29 tn Heb “the joy of wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks.”
30 tn Heb “until a spirit is emptied out on us from on high.” The words “this desolation will continue” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic purposes. The verb עָרָה (’arah), used here in the Niphal, normally means “lay bare, expose.” The term רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) is often understood here as a reference to the divine spirit (cf. 44:3 and NASB, NIV, CEV, NLT), but it appears here without an article (cf. NRSV “a spirit”), pronominal suffix, or a genitive (such as “of the Lord”). The translation assumes that it carries an impersonal nuance “vivacity, vigor” in this context.
31 sn The same statement appears in 29:17b, where, in conjunction with the preceding line, it appears to picture a reversal. Here it seems to depict supernatural growth. The desert will blossom into an orchard, and the trees of the orchard will multiply and grow tall, becoming a forest.
32 sn This new era of divine blessing will also include a moral/ethical transformation, as justice and fairness fill the land and replace the social injustice so prevalent in Isaiah’s time.
33 tn Heb “and the product of fairness will be peace.”
34 tn Heb “and the work of fairness [will be] calmness and security forever.”
35 tn Or “in safe resting places”; NAB, NRSV “quiet resting places.”
36 tn Heb “and [?] when the forest descends.” The form וּבָרַד (uvarad) is often understood as an otherwise unattested denominative verb meaning “to hail” (HALOT 154 s.v. I ברד). In this case one might translate, “and it hails when the forest is destroyed” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV). Perhaps the text alludes to a powerful wind and hail storm that knocks down limbs and trees. Some prefer to emend the form to וְיָרַד (vÿyarad), “and it descends,” which provides better, though not perfect, symmetry with the parallel line (cf. NAB). Perhaps וּבָרַד should be dismissed as dittographic. In this case the statement (“when the forest descends”) lacks a finite verb and seems incomplete, but perhaps it is subordinate to v. 20.
37 tn Heb “and in humiliation the city is laid low.”
38 tn Heb “by all the waters.”
39 tn Heb “who set free the foot of the ox and donkey”; NIV “letting your cattle and donkeys range free.”
40 tn Heb “Woe [to] the destroyer.”
41 tn Heb “and the deceitful one”; NAB, NIV “O traitor”; NRSV “you treacherous one.” In the parallel structure הוֹי (hoy, “woe [to]”) does double duty.
42 tc The form in the Hebrew text appears to derive from an otherwise unattested verb נָלָה (nalah). The translation follows the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa in reading ככלתך, a Piel infinitival form from the verbal root כָּלָה (kalah), meaning “finish.”
43 tn Heb “Be their arm each morning.” “Arm” is a symbol for strength. The mem suffixed to the noun has been traditionally understood as a third person suffix, but this is contrary to the context, where the people speak of themselves in the first person. The mem (מ) is probably enclitic with ellipsis of the pronoun, which can be supplied from the context. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:589, n. 1.
44 tn Heb “[Be] also our deliverance in the time of distress.”
45 tn Heb “at the sound of tumult the nations run away.”
46 tn Heb “because of your exaltation the nations scatter.”
47 tn The pronoun is plural; the statement is addressed to the nations who have stockpiled plunder from their conquests of others.
48 tn Heb “and your plunder is gathered, the gathering of the locust.”
49 tn Heb “like a swarm of locusts swarming on it.”
50 tn Or “elevated”; NCV, NLT “is very great.”
51 tn Or “for” (KJV, NASB, NIV).
52 tn Heb “on high” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “in the heavens.”
53 tn Heb “and he is the stability of your times.”
54 tn Heb “a rich store of deliverance, wisdom, and knowledge.”
55 tn Heb “the fear of the Lord, it is his treasure.”
56 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown. Proposals include “heroes” (cf. KJV, ASV “valiant ones”; NASB, NIV “brave men”); “priests,” “residents [of Jerusalem].” The present translation assumes that the term is synonymous with “messengers of peace,” with which it corresponds in the parallel structure of the verse.
57 tn Heb “messengers of peace,” apparently those responsible for negotiating the agreements that have been broken (see v. 8).
58 tn Or “desolate” (NAB, NASB); NIV, NRSV, NLT “deserted.”
59 tn Heb “the one passing by on the road ceases.”
60 tn Heb “one breaks a treaty”; NAB “Covenants are broken.”
61 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “he despises cities.” The term עָרִים (’arim, “cities”) is probably a corruption of an original עֵדִים (’edim, “[legal] witnesses”), a reading that is preserved in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa. Confusion of dalet (ד) and resh (ר) is a well-attested scribal error.
62 tn Heb “he does not regard human beings.”
63 tn Or “earth” (KJV); NAB “the country.”
64 tn Or “mourns” (BDB 5 s.v. I אָבַל). HALOT 6-7 lists homonyms I אבל (“mourn”) and II אבל (“dry up”). They propose the second here on the basis of parallelism. See 24:4.
65 tn Heb “Lebanon is ashamed.” The Hiphil is exhibitive, expressing the idea, “exhibits shame.” In this context the statement alludes to the withering of vegetation.
66 sn Sharon was a fertile plain along the Mediterranean coast. See 35:2.
67 tn Or “the Arabah” (NIV). See 35:1.
68 sn Both of these areas were known for their trees and vegetation. See 2:13; 35:2.
69 tn Heb “shake off [their leaves]” (so ASV, NRSV); NAB “are stripped bare.”
70 tn Or “lift myself up” (KJV); NLT “show my power and might.”
71 tn The second person verb and pronominal forms in this verse are plural. The hostile nations are the addressed, as the next verse makes clear.
72 sn The hostile nations’ plans to destroy God’s people will come to nothing; their hostility will end up being self-destructive.
73 tn Heb “will be a burning to lime.” See Amos 2:1.
74 tn Or “trembling” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “shake with fear.”
75 tn Or “the defiled”; TEV “The sinful people of Zion”; NLT “The sinners in Jerusalem.”
76 tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
77 tn Or “perpetual”; or “everlasting” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).
78 tn Heb “walks” (so NASB, NIV).
79 tn Or, possibly, “justly”; NAB “who practices virtue.”
80 tn Heb “[who] shakes off his hands from grabbing hold of a bribe.”
81 tn Heb “[who] shuts his ear from listening to bloodshed.”
82 tn Heb “[who] closes his eyes from seeing evil.”
83 tn Heb “he [in the] exalted places will live.”
84 tn Heb “mountain strongholds, cliffs [will be] his elevated place.”
85 tn Heb “your eyes will see a king in his beauty”; NIV, NRSV “the king.”
86 tn Heb “a land of distances,” i.e., an extensive land.
87 tn Heb “your heart will meditate on terror.”
88 tn The words “and you will ask yourselves” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.
89 sn The people refer to various Assyrian officials who were responsible for determining the amount of taxation or tribute Judah must pay to the Assyrian king.
90 tn The Hebrew form נוֹעָז (no’az) is a Niphal participle derived from יָעַז (ya’az, an otherwise unattested verb) or from עָזָז (’azaz, “be strong,” unattested elsewhere in the Niphal). Some prefer to emend the form to לוֹעֵז (lo’ez) which occurs in Ps 114:1 with the meaning “speak a foreign language.” See HALOT 809 s.v. עזז, 533 s.v. לעז. In this case, one might translate “people who speak a foreign language.”
91 tn Heb “a people too deep of lip to hear.” The phrase “deep of lip” must be an idiom meaning “lips that speak words that are unfathomable [i.e., incomprehensible].”
92 tn Heb “derision of tongue there is no understanding.” The Niphal of לָעַג (la’ag) occurs only here. In the Qal and Hiphil the verb means “to deride, mock.” A related noun is used in 28:11.
93 tn Heb “your eyes” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
94 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
95 tn Or “that does not travel”; NASB “which shall not be folded.”
96 tn Heb “But there [as] a mighty one [will be] the Lord for us.”
97 tn Heb “a place of rivers, streams wide of hands [i.e., on both sides].”
98 tn Heb “a ship of rowing will not go into it.”
99 tn Heb “and a mighty ship will not pass through it.”
100 tn The words “though at this time” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The first half of the verse is addressed to Judah and contrasts the nation’s present weakness with its future prosperity. Judah is compared to a ship that is incapable of sailing.
101 tn Heb “they do not fasten the base of their mast.” On כֵּן (ken, “base”) see BDB 487 s.v. III כֵּן and HALOT 483 s.v. III כֵּן.
102 tn Or perhaps, “flag.”
103 tn Heb “then there will be divided up loot of plunder [in] abundance.”
104 sn Judah’s victory over its enemies will be so thorough there will be more than enough plunder for everyone, even slow-moving lame men who would normally get left out in the rush to gather the loot.
105 tn The words “of Zion” are supplied in the translation for clarification.