Esias 32

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

Look, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice.

2 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.

Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a land of weariness.

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

Then the eyes of those who see will not be dim, and the ears of those who hear will hear attentively.

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

The rash will think carefully with understanding, and the stutterer will speak distinctly and with ease.

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

The fool will no longer be called honorable, nor the deceiver called principled.

6 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.

For the fool speaks folly, and his heart plans evil and godless actions, and he speaks wrongly against Yahweh. He makes the hungry empty, and the thirsty he causes to lack drink.

7 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.

The deceiver's methods are evil. He devises wicked schemes to ruin the poor with lies, even when the poor say what is right.

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

But the honorable man makes honorable plans; and because of his honorable actions he will stand.

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

Rise up, you women who are at ease, and listen to my voice; you carefree daughters, listen to me.

10 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.

For in a little more than a year your confidence will be broken, you carefree women, for the grape harvest will fail, the ingathering will not come.

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

Tremble, you women who are at ease; be troubled, you confident ones; take off your fine clothes and make yourselves bare; put on sackcloth around your waists.

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

You will wail for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vines.

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

The land of my people will be overgrown with thorns and briers, even in all the once joyful houses in the city of revelry.

14 [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;

For the palace will be forsaken, the crowded city will be deserted; the hill and the watchtower will become caves forever, a joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks;

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

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

Then justice will reside in the wilderness; and righteousness will live in the fruitful field.

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

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

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

My people will live in a peaceful habitation, in secure homes, and in quiet resting places.

19 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.

But even if it hails and the forest is destroyed, and the city is completely annihilated,

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

you who sow beside all the streams will be blessed, you who send out your ox and donkey to graze.