Isaiah 32

1 Behold, a King shall reigne in iustice, and the princes shall rule in iudgement.

Watch! A king is coming who does what's right when he rules, and those who rule under him will act fairly.

2 And that man shall bee as an hiding place from the winde, and as a refuge for the tempest: as riuers of water in a drie place, and as the shadowe of a great rocke in a weary land.

Each one will be like a shelter from the wind, like a protection from the storm, like rivers of water in the dry desert, like the shade of a large rock in a sun-baked land.

3 The eyes of the seeing shall not be shut, and the eares of them that heare, shall hearken.

Then everyone with eyes will be able to truly see, and everyone who has ears will be able to truly hear.

4 And the heart of the foolish shall vnderstand knowledge, and the tongue of the stutters shalbe ready to speake distinctly.

Those whose minds are impulsive will be sensible and think things through; those who stammer will speak clearly.

5 A nigard shall no more be called liberall, nor the churle riche.

No longer will fools be called respectable or crooks highly-regarded.

6 But the nigarde will speake of nigardnesse, and his heart will worke iniquitie, and do wickedly, and speake falsely against the Lord, to make emptie the hungrie soule, and to cause the drinke of the thirstie to faile.

For fools only talk foolishness, thinking evil things. They act in opposition to the Lord, misrepresenting him in what they say. They refuse to give food to the hungry and deny water to the thirsty.

7 For the weapons of the churle are wicked: hee deuiseth wicked counsels, to vndoe the poore with lying words: and to speake against the poore in iudgement.

Cheats use evil methods; they devise schemes to ruin the poor with lies, even when right is on the side of the poor.

8 But the liberall man will deuise of liberall things, and he will continue his liberalitie.

But noble people act unselfishly; they keep to their principles of generosity.

9 Rise vp, ye women that are at ease: heare my voyce, ye carelesse daughters: hearken to my wordes.

Get up, you women who are lying around relaxing, and pay attention to what I'm saying! You ladies without a care in the world, listen to me!

10 Yee women, that are carelesse, shall be in feare aboue a yeere in dayes: for the vintage shall faile, and the gatherings shall come no more.

In just over a year, you who think yourselves so safe will tremble with fear. The grape harvest is going to fail and there'll be no harvest.

11 Yee women, that are at ease, be astonied: feare, O yee carelesse women: put off the clothes: make bare, and girde sackcloth vpon the loynes.

Shudder, you women relaxing! Tremble, you ladies who feel so safe! Strip off your clothes, bare yourselves and put on sackcloth around your waists.

12 Men shall lament for the teates, euen for the pleasant fieldes, and for the fruitefull vine.

Beat your breasts in sadness over the loss of your lovely fields, your productive vines,

13 Vpon the lande of my people shall growe thornes and briers: yea, vpon all the houses of ioye in the citie of reioysing,

over the loss of the land of my people. Mourn because it's now overgrown with thorns and brambles, mourn because of the loss of all the happy homes and joyful towns.

14 Because the palace shalbe forsaken, and the noise of the citie shalbe left: the towre and fortresse shalbe dennes for euer, and the delite of wilde asses, and a pasture for flockes,

The palace is abandoned, the crowded town is deserted. Castles and watch towers will forever become homes loved by wild donkeys, and places where sheep graze,

15 Vntill the Spirit be powred vpon vs from aboue, and the wildernes become a fruitfull fielde, and the plenteous fielde be counted as a forest.

until the Spirit is poured out on us from above, and the desert becomes like a good field full of crops, and a good field will grow like a forest.

16 And iudgement shall dwel in the desert, and iustice shall remaine in the fruitfull fielde.

Then people living in the desert will practice justice, and those living among the fields will do what is right.

17 And the worke of iustice shall bee peace, euen the worke of iustice and quietnesse, and assurance for euer.

Living right will bring peace and security that endures.

18 And my people shall dwell in the tabernacle of peace, and in sure dwellings, and in safe resting places.

My people will live in peace, safe and secure in their homes.

19 When it haileth, it shall fall on the forest, and the citie shall be set in the lowe place.

Even though hail can destroy a forest, and a town can be demolished,

20 Blessed are ye that sowe vpon all waters, and driue thither the feete of the oxe and the asse.

you will be happy as you sow your crops beside the waters and let your cattle and donkeys roam freely.