< Isaiah 32 >
1 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.
Lo, for righteousness doth a king reign, As to princes, for judgment they rule.
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 each hath been as a hiding-place [from] wind, And as a secret hiding-place [from] inundation, As rivulets of waters in a dry place, As a shadow of a heavy 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.
And not dazzled are the eyes of beholders, And the ears of hearers do attend.
4 The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.
And the heart of those hastened Understandeth to know, And the tongue of stammerers hasteth to speak clearly.
5 The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said [to be] bountiful.
A fool is no more called 'noble,' And to a miser it is not said, 'rich;'
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 a fool speaketh folly, And his heart doth iniquity, to do profanity, And to speak concerning Jehovah error, To empty the soul of the hungry, Yea, drink of the thirsty he causeth to lack.
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.
And the miser — his instruments [are] evil, He hath counselled wicked devices, To corrupt the poor with lying sayings, Even when the needy speaketh justly.
8 But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.
And the noble counselled noble things, And he for noble things riseth up.
9 Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.
Women, easy ones, rise, hear my voice, Daughters, confident ones, give ear [to] my saying,
10 Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.
Days and a year ye are troubled, O confident ones, For consumed hath been harvest, The gathering cometh not.
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 women, ye easy ones, Be troubled, ye confident ones, Strip and make bare, with a girdle on the loins,
12 They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.
For breasts they are lamenting, For fields of desire, 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:
Over the ground of my people thorn — brier goeth up, Surely over all houses of joy of the exulting city,
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;
Surely the palace hath been left, The multitude of the city forsaken, Fort and watch-tower hath been for dens unto the age, A joy of wild asses — a pasture of herds;
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.
Till emptied out on us is the Spirit from on high, And a wilderness hath become a fruitful field, And the fruitful field for a forest is reckoned.
16 Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.
And dwelt in the wilderness hath judgment, And righteousness in the fruitful field remaineth.
17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
And a work of the righteousness hath been peace, And a service of the righteousness — Keeping quiet and confidence unto the age.
18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;
And dwelt hath My people in a peaceful habitation, And in stedfast tabernacles, And in quiet resting-places.
19 When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.
And it hath hailed in the going down of the forest, And in the valley is the city low.
20 Blessed [are] ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth [thither] the feet of the ox and the ass.
Happy [are] ye sowing by all waters, Sending forth the foot of the ox and the ass!