Isaiah 32

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

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

2 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.

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

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

4 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.

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

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

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

6 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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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 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.

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 Then shall justice dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.

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

17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and security for ever.

Living right will bring peace and security that endures.

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

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

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

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

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

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