Isaiah 32

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

Behold! a king shall reign in righteousness, And princes shall rule with equity.

2 And a man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the storm; as brooks of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

Every one of them shall be a hiding-place from the wind, And a shelter from the tempest; As streams of water in a dry place, As the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

3 And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken;

The eyes of them that see shall no more be blind, And the ears of them that hear shall hearken.

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

The heart of the rash shall gain wisdom, And the tongue of the stammerer learn to speak plainly.

5 The vile man shall be no more called noble, nor the churl said to be bountiful:

The vile shall no more be called liberal, Nor the niggard said to be bountiful;

6 for the vile man will speak villainy, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against Jehovah, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

For the vile will still utter villany, And his heart will devise iniquity; He will practise deception, and speak impiety against God; He will take away the food of the hungry, And deprive the thirsty of drink.

7 The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the meek with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.

The instruments also of the niggard are evil; He plotteth mischievous devices, To destroy the poor with lying words, Even when the cause of the needy is just.

8 But the noble deviseth noble things; and to noble things doth he stand.

But the liberal deviseth liberal things, And in liberal things will he persevere.

9 Rise up, ye women that are at ease, hear my voice; ye careless daughters, give ear unto my speech.

Arise, hear my voice, ye women that are at ease! Give ear to my speech, ye careless daughters!

10 In a year and [some] days shall ye be troubled, ye careless women; for the vintage shall fail, the ingathering shall not come.

One year more, and ye shall tremble, ye careless women! For the vintage shall fail; the harvest shall not come.

11 Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones; strip you, and make you bare, and gird [sackcloth] on your loins!

Tremble, O ye that are at ease! Be in dismay, ye careless ones! Strip you, make you bare, gird ye sackcloth upon your loins!

12 They shall smite on the breasts [in lamentation] for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vineyards.

They shall smite themselves on their breasts, On account of the pleasant fields, On account of the fruitful vine.

13 Upon the land of my people shall come up thistles [and] briars, yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city.

Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; Yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city.

14 For the palace shall be deserted, the multitude of the city shall be forsaken; hill and watchtower shall be caves for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;

For the palace shall be forsaken; The tumult of the city shall be solitary; The fortified hill and the tower shall be dens forever; The joy of wild-asses, the pasture of flocks;

15 until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.

Until the spirit from on high be poured upon us, And the wilderness become a fruitful field, And the fruitful field be esteemed a forest.

16 And judgment shall inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness dwell in the fruitful field.

Then shall justice dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness in the fruitful field.

17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever.

And the effect of righteousness shall be peace, And the fruit of righteousness quiet and security forever.

18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting-places.

Then shall my people dwell in peaceful habitations, In secure dwellings, in quiet resting-places.

19 And it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.

But the hail shall descend, and the forest shall fall; And the city shall be brought very low.

20 Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth the feet of the ox and the ass.

Happy ye who sow beside all waters; Who send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass!