Isaiah 32

1 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and rulers shall rule in justice.

Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice.

2 And a man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as streams of water in a dry place, as the shade of a great rock in a weary land.

A man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the storm, as streams of water in a dry place, as the shade of a large rock in a weary land.

3 And the eyes of those who see shall not be dim, and the ears of those who hear shall hearken.

The eyes of those who see will not be dim, and the ears of those who hear will listen.

4 And the heart of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.

The heart of the rash will understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly.

5 The fool shall no more be called noble, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

The fool will no longer be called noble, nor the scoundrel be highly respected.

6 For the fool will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice profaneness, and to utter error against Jehovah, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

For the fool will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise profanity, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

7 And the instruments of the churl are evil. He devises wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaks right.

The ways of the scoundrel are evil. He devises wicked plans to destroy the humble with lying words, even when the needy speaks right.

8 But a noble man devises noble things, and in noble things he shall continue.

But the noble devises noble things, and he will continue in noble things.

9 Rise up, ye women who are at ease. Hear my voice, ye careless daughters. Give ear to my speech.

Rise up, you women who are at ease! Hear my voice! You careless daughters, give ear to my speech!

10 For ye shall be troubled days beyond a year, ye careless women. For the vintage shall fail; the ingathering shall not come.

For days beyond a year you will be troubled, you careless women; for the vintage will fail. The harvest won’t come.

11 Tremble, ye women who are at ease. Be troubled, ye careless ones. Strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.

Tremble, you women who are at ease! Be troubled, you careless ones! Strip yourselves, make yourselves naked, and put sackcloth on your waist.

12 They shall beat upon the breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

13 Thorns and briers shall come up on the land of my people, yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city.

Thorns and briers will come up on my people’s land; yes, on all the houses of joy in the joyous city.

14 For the palace shall be forsaken. The populous city shall be deserted. The hill and the watch-tower shall be for dens forever, a joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks,

For the palace will be forsaken. The populous city will be deserted. The hill and the watchtower will be for dens forever, a delight for wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks,

15 until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest.

until the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is considered a forest.

16 Then justice shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness shall abide in the fruitful field.

Then justice will dwell in the wilderness; and righteousness will remain in the fruitful field.

17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.

The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.

18 And my people shall abide in a peaceable habitation, and in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting-places.

My people will live in a peaceful habitation, in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting places,

19 But it shall hail in the downfall of the forest, and the city shall be utterly laid low.

though hail flattens the forest, and the city is levelled completely.

20 Blessed are ye who sow beside all waters, who send forth the feet of the ox and the donkey.

Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send out the feet of the ox and the donkey.