Isaiah 32

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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 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 makes honorable plans; he stands up for worthy causes.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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