< Isaiah 32 >
1 Behold a king shall reign in justice, and princes shell rule in judgment.
Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.
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.
And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
3 The eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken diligently.
And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.
4 And the heart of fools shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of stammerers shall speak readily and plain.
The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.
5 The fool shall no more be called prince: neither shall the deceitful be called great:
The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.
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 the vile person will speak villainy, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
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 instruments also of the churl are evil: he devises wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaks right.
8 But the prince will devise such things as are worthy of a prince, and he shall stand above the rulers.
But the liberal devises liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.
9 Rise up, ye rich women, and hear my voice: ye confident daughters, give ear to my speech.
Rise up, all of you women that are at ease; hear my voice, all of you careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.
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.
Many days and years shall all of you be troubled, all of you careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.
11 Be astonished, ye rich women, be troubled, ye confident ones: strip yen, and be confounded, gird your loins.
Tremble, all of you women that are at ease; be troubled, all of you careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.
12 Mourn for your breasts, for the delightful country, for the fruitful vineyard.
They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.
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?
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 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,
Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of 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 be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.
16 And judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and justice shall sit in charmel.
Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.
17 And the work of justice shall be peace, and the service of justice quietness, and security for ever.
And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
18 And my people shall sit in the beauty of peace, and in the tabernacles of confidence, and in wealthy rest.
And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;
19 But hail shall be in the descent of the forest, and the city shall be made very low.
When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.
20 Blessed are ye that sow upon all waters, sending thither the foot of the ox and the ass.
Blessed are all of you that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.