< Isaiah 32 >

1 Behold, a king reigns for righteousness, As for princes, they rule for judgment.
Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and rulers shall rule in justice.
2 And each has been as a hiding place [from] wind, And as a secret hiding place [from] inundation, As streams of waters in a dry place, As a shadow of a heavy rock in a weary land.
And a man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as streams of water in a dry place, as the shade of a great rock in a weary land.
3 And the eyes of beholders are not dazzled, And the ears of hearers attend.
And the eyes of those who see shall not be dim, and the ears of those who hear shall hearken.
4 And the heart of those hurried understands to know, And the tongue of stammerers hurries to speak clearly.
And the heart of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.
5 A fool is no more called “noble,” And to a miser it is not said, “rich”;
The fool shall no more be called noble, nor the churl said to be bountiful.
6 For a fool speaks folly, And his heart does iniquity, to do profanity, And to speak error concerning YHWH, To empty the soul of the hungry, Indeed, he causes the thirsty to lack [their] drink.
For the fool will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice profaneness, and to utter error against Jehovah, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
7 And the miser—his instruments [are] evil, He has counseled wicked schemes, To corrupt the poor with lying sayings, Even when the needy speaks justly.
And the instruments of the churl are evil. He devises wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaks right.
8 And the noble counseled noble things, And he rises up for noble things.
But a noble man devises noble things, and in noble things he shall continue.
9 Women, easy ones, rise, hear my voice, Daughters, confident ones, give ear [to] my saying,
Rise up, ye women who are at ease. Hear my voice, ye careless daughters. Give ear to my speech.
10 In days and a year You are troubled, O confident ones, For harvest has been consumed, The gathering does not come.
For ye shall be troubled days beyond a year, ye careless women. For the vintage shall fail; the ingathering shall not come.
11 Tremble, you women, you easy ones, Be troubled, you confident ones, Strip and make bare, with a girdle on the loins,
Tremble, ye women who are at ease. Be troubled, ye careless ones. Strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.
12 They are lamenting for breasts, For fields of desire, for the fruitful vine.
They shall beat upon the breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.
13 Over the ground of my people thorn [and] brier go up, Surely over all houses of joy of the exulting city,
Thorns and briers shall come up on the land of my people, yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city.
14 The palace has been left, The multitude of the city forsaken, Fort and watchtower have been for dens for all time, A joy of wild donkeys—a pasture of herds;
For the palace shall be forsaken. The populous city shall be deserted. The hill and the watch-tower shall be for dens forever, a joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks,
15 Until the Spirit is emptied out on us from on high, And a wilderness has become a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is reckoned for a forest.
until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest.
16 And judgment has dwelt in the wilderness, And righteousness remains in the fruitful field.
Then justice shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness shall abide in the fruitful field.
17 And a work of the righteousness has been peace, And a service of the righteousness—Keeping quiet and confidence for all time.
And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.
18 And My people have dwelt in a peaceful habitation, And in steadfast dwelling places, And in quiet resting places.
And my people shall abide in a peaceable habitation, and in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting-places.
19 And it has hailed in the going down of the forest, And the city is low in the valley.
But it shall hail in the downfall of the forest, and the city shall be utterly laid low.
20 Blessed [are] you sowing by all waters, Sending forth the foot of the ox and the donkey!
Blessed are ye who sow beside all waters, who send forth the feet of the ox and the donkey.

< Isaiah 32 >