Isaiah 32

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

See, a king will be ruling in righteousness, and chiefs will give right decisions.

2 Each will be like a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in a dry land, like the shadow of a great rock in an arid land.

And a man will be as a safe place from the wind, and a cover from the storm; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shade of a great rock in a waste land.

3 Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.

And the eyes of those who see will not be shut, and those who have hearing will give ear to the word.

4 The mind of the rash will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will speak clearly and fluently.

The man of sudden impulses will become wise in heart, and he whose tongue is slow will get the power of talking clearly.

5 No longer will a fool be called noble, nor a scoundrel be respected.

The foolish man will no longer be named noble, and they will not say of the false man that he is a man of honour.

6 For a fool speaks foolishness; his mind plots iniquity. He practices ungodliness and speaks falsely about the LORD; he leaves the hungry empty and deprives the thirsty of drink.

For the foolish man will say foolish things, having evil thoughts in his heart, working what is unclean, and talking falsely about the Lord, to keep food from him who is in need of it, and water from him whose soul is desiring it.

7 The weapons of the scoundrel are destructive; he hatches plots to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.

The designs of the false are evil, purposing the destruction of the poor man by false words, even when he is in the right.

8 But a noble man makes honorable plans; he stands up for worthy causes.

But the noble-hearted man has noble purposes, and by these he will be guided.

9 Stand up, you complacent women; listen to me. Give ear to my word, you overconfident daughters.

Give ear to my voice, you women who are living in comfort; give attention to my words, you daughters who have no fear of danger.

10 In a little more than a year you will tremble, O secure ones. For the grape harvest will fail and the fruit harvest will not arrive.

In not much more than a year, you, who are not looking for evil, will be troubled: for the produce of the vine-gardens will be cut off, and there will be no getting in of the grapes.

11 Shudder, you ladies of leisure; tremble, you daughters of complacency. Strip yourselves bare and put sackcloth around your waists.

Be shaking with fear, you women who are living in comfort; be troubled, you who have no fear of danger: take off your robes and put on clothing of grief.

12 Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vines,

Have sorrow for the fields, the pleasing fields, the fertile vine;

13 and for the land of my people, overgrown with thorns and briers— even for every house of merriment in this city of revelry.

And for the land of my people, where thorns will come up; even for all the houses of joy in the glad town.

14 For the palace will be forsaken, the busy city abandoned. The hill and the watchtower will become caves forever— the delight of wild donkeys and a pasture for flocks—

For the fair houses will have no man living in them; the town which was full of noise will become a waste; the hill and the watchtower will be unpeopled for ever, a joy for the asses of the woods, a place of food for the flocks;

15 until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high. Then the desert will be an orchard, and the orchard will seem like a forest.

Till the spirit comes on us from on high, and the waste land becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field is changed into a wood.

16 Then justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the fertile field.

Then in the waste land there will be an upright rule, and righteousness will have its place in the fertile field.

17 The work of righteousness will be peace; the service of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever.

And the work of righteousness will be peace; and the effect of an upright rule will be to take away fear for ever.

18 Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place, in safe and secure places of rest.

And my people will be living in peace, in houses where there is no fear, and in quiet resting-places.

19 But hail will level the forest, and the city will sink to the depths.

But the tall trees will come down with a great fall, and the town will be low in a low place.

20 Blessed are those who sow beside abundant waters, who let the ox and donkey range freely.

Happy are you who are planting seed by all the waters, and sending out the ox and the ass.