Isaiah 32
1 Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice.
Watch! A king is coming who does what's right when he rules, and those who rule under him will act fairly.
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.
Each one will be like a shelter from the wind, like a protection from the storm, like rivers of water in the dry desert, like the shade of a large rock in a sun-baked land.
3 Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.
Then everyone with eyes will be able to truly see, and everyone who has ears will be able to truly hear.
4 The mind of the rash will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will speak clearly and fluently.
Those whose minds are impulsive will be sensible and think things through; those who stammer will speak clearly.
5 No longer will a fool be called noble, nor a scoundrel be respected.
No longer will fools be called respectable or crooks highly-regarded.
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 fools only talk foolishness, thinking evil things. They act in opposition to the Lord, misrepresenting him in what they say. They refuse to give food to the hungry and deny water to the thirsty.
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.
Cheats use evil methods; they devise schemes to ruin the poor with lies, even when right is on the side of the poor.
8 But a noble man makes honorable plans; he stands up for worthy causes.
But noble people act unselfishly; they keep to their principles of generosity.
9 Stand up, you complacent women; listen to me. Give ear to my word, you overconfident daughters.
Get up, you women who are lying around relaxing, and pay attention to what I'm saying! You ladies without a care in the world, listen to me!
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 just over a year, you who think yourselves so safe will tremble with fear. The grape harvest is going to fail and there'll be no harvest.
11 Shudder, you ladies of leisure; tremble, you daughters of complacency. Strip yourselves bare and put sackcloth around your waists.
Shudder, you women relaxing! Tremble, you ladies who feel so safe! Strip off your clothes, bare yourselves and put on sackcloth around your waists.
12 Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vines,
Beat your breasts in sadness over the loss of your lovely fields, your productive vines,
13 and for the land of my people, overgrown with thorns and briers— even for every house of merriment in this city of revelry.
over the loss of the land of my people. Mourn because it's now overgrown with thorns and brambles, mourn because of the loss of all the happy homes and joyful towns.
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—
The palace is abandoned, the crowded town is deserted. Castles and watch towers will forever become homes loved by wild donkeys, and places where sheep graze,
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 is poured out on us from above, and the desert becomes like a good field full of crops, and a good field will grow like a forest.
16 Then justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the fertile field.
Then people living in the desert will practice justice, and those living among the fields will do what is right.
17 The work of righteousness will be peace; the service of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever.
Living right will bring peace and security that endures.
18 Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place, in safe and secure places of rest.
My people will live in peace, safe and secure in their homes.
19 But hail will level the forest, and the city will sink to the depths.
Even though hail can destroy a forest, and a town can be demolished,
20 Blessed are those who sow beside abundant waters, who let the ox and donkey range freely.
you will be happy as you sow your crops beside the waters and let your cattle and donkeys roam freely.
