Isaiah 32

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

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

2 And a man shall be as when one is hid from the wind, and hideth himself from a storm, as rivers of waters in drought, and the shadow of a rock that standeth out in a desert land.

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.

3 The eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken diligently.

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

4 And the heart of fools shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of stammerers shall speak readily and plain.

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

5 The fool shall no more be called prince: neither shall the deceitful be called great:

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

6 For the fool will speak foolish things, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and speak to the Lord deceitfully, and to make empty the soul of the hungry, and take away drink from the thirsty.

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.

7 The vessels of the deceitful are most wicked: for he hath framed devices to destroy the meek, with lying words, when the poor man speaketh judgment.

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.

8 But the prince will devise such things as are worthy of a prince, and he shall stand above the rulers.

But a noble man makes honorable plans; he stands up for worthy causes.

9 Rise up, ye rich women, and hear my voice: ye confident daughters, give ear to my speech.

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

10 For after days and a year, you that are confident shall be troubled: for the vintage is at an end, the gathering shall come no more.

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.

11 Be astonished, ye rich women, be troubled, ye confident ones: strip yen, and be confounded, gird your loins.

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

12 Mourn for your breasts, for the delightful country, for the fruitful vineyard.

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

13 Upon the land of my people shall thorns and briers come up: how much more upon all the houses of joy, of the city that rejoiced?

and for the land of my people, overgrown with thorns and briers— even for every house of merriment in this city of revelry.

14 For the house is forsaken, the multitude of the city is left, darkness and obscurity are come upon its dens for ever. A joy of wild asses, the pastures of flocks,

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—

15 Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high: and the desert shall be as a charmel, and charmel shall be counted for a forest.

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.

16 And judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and justice shall sit in charmel.

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

17 And the work of justice shall be peace, and the service of justice quietness, and security for ever.

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

18 And my people shall sit in the beauty of peace, and in the tabernacles of confidence, and in wealthy rest.

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

19 But hail shall be in the descent of the forest, and the city shall be made very low.

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

20 Blessed are ye that sow upon all waters, sending thither the foot of the ox and the ass.

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