Isaiah 32

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

For, behold, a righteous king shall reign, and princes shall govern with judgment.

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 shall hide his words, and be hidden, as from rushing water, and shall appear in Sion as a rushing river, glorious in a thirsty land.

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

And they shall no more trust in men, but they shall incline their ears to hear.

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

And the heart of the weak ones shall attend to hear, and the stammering tongues shall soon learn to speak peace.

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

And they shall no more at all tell a fool to rule, and thy servants shall no more at all say, Be silent.

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 fool shall speak foolish words, and his heart shall meditate vanities, and to perform lawless deeds and to speak error against the Lord, to scatter hungry souls, and he will cause the thirsty souls to be empty.

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.

For the counsel of the wicked will devise iniquity, to destroy the poor with unjust words, and ruin the cause of the poor in judgment.

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

But the godly have devised wise [measures], and this counsel shall stand.

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

Rise up, ye rich women, and hear my voice; ye confident daughters, hearken to my words.

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.

Remember for a full year in pain, yet with hope: the vintage has been cut off; it has ceased, it shall by no means come again.

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

Be amazed, be pained, ye confident ones: strip you, bare yourselves, gird your loins;

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

and beat your breasts, because of the pleasant field, and the fruit of the 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.

[As for] the land of my people, the thorn and grass shall come upon [it], and joy shall be removed from every house.

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—

[As for] the rich city, the houses are deserted; they shall abandon the wealth of the city, [and] the pleasant houses: and the villages shall be caves for ever, the joy of wild asses, shepherds' pastures;

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.

until the Spirit shall come upon you from on high, and Chermel shall be desert, and Chermel shall be counted for a forest.

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

Then judgment shall abide in the wilderness, and righteousness shall dwell in Carmel.

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

And the works of righteousness shall be peace; and righteousness shall ensure rest, and [the righteous] shall be confident for ever.

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

And his people shall inhabit a city of peace, and dwell in [it] in confidence, and they shall rest with wealth.

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

And if the hail should come down, it shall not come upon you; and they that dwell in the forests shall be in confidence, as those in the plain country.

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

Blessed are they that sow by every water, where the ox and ass tread.