Isaiah 32

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

Behold! a king shall reign in righteousness, And princes shall rule with equity.

2 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.

Every one of them shall be a hiding-place from the wind, And a shelter from the tempest; As streams of water in a dry place, As the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

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

The eyes of them that see shall no more be blind, And the ears of them that hear shall hearken.

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

The heart of the rash shall gain wisdom, And the tongue of the stammerer learn to speak plainly.

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

The vile shall no more be called liberal, Nor the niggard said to be bountiful;

6 For the fool will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice 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.

For the vile will still utter villany, And his heart will devise iniquity; He will practise deception, and speak impiety against God; He will take away the food of the hungry, And deprive the thirsty of drink.

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

The instruments also of the niggard are evil; He plotteth mischievous devices, To destroy the poor with lying words, Even when the cause of the needy is just.

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

But the liberal deviseth liberal things, And in liberal things will he persevere.

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

Arise, hear my voice, ye women that are at ease! Give ear to my speech, ye careless daughters!

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

One year more, and ye shall tremble, ye careless women! For the vintage shall fail; the harvest shall not come.

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

Tremble, O ye that are at ease! Be in dismay, ye careless ones! Strip you, make you bare, gird ye sackcloth upon your loins!

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

They shall smite themselves on their breasts, On account of the pleasant fields, On account of the fruitful vine.

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

Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; Yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city.

14 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,

For the palace shall be forsaken; The tumult of the city shall be solitary; The fortified hill and the tower shall be dens forever; The joy of wild-asses, the pasture of flocks;

15 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.

Until the spirit from on high be poured upon us, And the wilderness become a fruitful field, And the fruitful field be esteemed a forest.

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

Then shall justice dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness in the fruitful field.

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

And the effect of righteousness shall be peace, And the fruit of righteousness quiet and security forever.

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

Then shall my people dwell in peaceful habitations, In secure dwellings, in quiet resting-places.

19 though hail flattens the forest, and the city is leveled completely.

But the hail shall descend, and the forest shall fall; And the city shall be brought very low.

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

Happy ye who sow beside all waters; Who send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass!