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 in justice.

2 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.

And every one shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivulets of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a large rock in a languishing land.

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

And the eyes of those that see shall not be blinded again, and the ears of those that hear shall hearken.

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

The heart also of the rash shall be attentive in order to know, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.

5 The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

The worthless person shall be no more called liberal, and the avaricious man shall not be said to be bountiful.

6 For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise 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.

For the worthless person ever speaketh villany, and his heart will work injustice, to practise hypocrisy, and to speak error against the Lord, to leave empty the soul of the hungry, and the drink of the thirsty will he take away.

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

The instruments also of the avaricious man are evil: he deviseth wicked resolves to destroy the poor with words of falsehood, even when the needy speaketh what is right.

8 But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.

But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and he ever persisteth by liberal things.

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

Ye careless women rise up, hear my voice; ye daughters that are secure, give ear unto my speech.

10 Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.

After days and years shall ye shudder, ye women that are secure; for ended is the vintage, the fruit gathering shall nowise come.

11 Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.

Tremble, ye careless women; shudder, ye that are secure, strip off your garments and make yourselves bare, and gird [sackcloth] upon the loins.

12 They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

[They shall strike] on the breast, lamenting, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

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

Upon the soil of my people thorns and briers shall come up; yea, upon all the houses of joy of the gladsome town.

14 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;

Because the palace is abandoned, the tumult of the city is forsaken; the hill and watch-tower are become dens for a long time, a joyous haunt for wild asses, a pasture for flocks.

15 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.

Until a spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be changed into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be accounted as a forest.

16 Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.

Then shall justice dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide 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 work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and security for ever.

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

And then shall my people abide in peaceful dwellings, and secure abodes, and in undisturbed resting-places.

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

And it shall spread itself out in the declivity of the forest; and far down in the lowlands shall the city descend.

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

Happy are ye that sow beside all waters, freely sending forth the feet of the ox and the ass.