Esias 32

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise 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 For the counsel of the wicked will devise iniquity, to destroy the poor with unjust words, and ruin the cause of the poor in judgement.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thorns and briers will come up on my people’s land; yes, on all the houses of joy in the joyous city.

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 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 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 a forest.

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

Then justice will dwell in the wilderness; and righteousness will remain 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 effect 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 safe dwellings, 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.

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

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

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