Isaiah 32

1 Behold, a king reigns for righteousness, As for princes, they rule for judgment.

Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with 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.

Each will be like a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in a dry land, like the shadow of a great rock in an arid land.

3 And the eyes of beholders are not dazzled, And the ears of hearers attend.

Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.

4 And the heart of those hurried understands to know, And the tongue of stammerers hurries to speak clearly.

The mind of the rash will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will speak clearly and fluently.

5 A fool is no more called “noble,” And to a miser it is not said, “rich”;

No longer will a fool be called noble, nor a scoundrel be respected.

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 a fool speaks foolishness; his mind plots iniquity. He practices ungodliness and speaks falsely about the LORD; he leaves the hungry empty and deprives the thirsty of drink.

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.

The weapons of the scoundrel are destructive; he hatches plots to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.

8 And the noble counseled noble things, And he rises up for noble things.

But a noble man makes honorable plans; he stands up for worthy causes.

9 Women, easy ones, rise, hear my voice, Daughters, confident ones, give ear [to] my saying,

Stand up, you complacent women; listen to me. Give ear to my word, you overconfident daughters.

10 In days and a year You are troubled, O confident ones, For harvest has been consumed, The gathering does not come.

In a little more than a year you will tremble, O secure ones. For the grape harvest will fail and the fruit harvest will not arrive.

11 Tremble, you women, you easy ones, Be troubled, you confident ones, Strip and make bare, with a girdle on the loins,

Shudder, you ladies of leisure; tremble, you daughters of complacency. Strip yourselves bare and put sackcloth around your waists.

12 They are lamenting for breasts, For fields of desire, for the fruitful vine.

Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vines,

13 Over the ground of my people thorn [and] brier go up, Surely over all houses of joy of the exulting city,

and for the land of my people, overgrown with thorns and briers— even for every house of merriment in this city of revelry.

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 will be forsaken, the busy city abandoned. The hill and the watchtower will become caves forever— the delight of wild donkeys and a pasture for 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 is poured out upon us from on high. Then the desert will be an orchard, and the orchard will seem like a forest.

16 And judgment has dwelt in the wilderness, And righteousness remains in the fruitful field.

Then justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the fertile field.

17 And a work of the righteousness has been peace, And a service of the righteousness—Keeping quiet and confidence for all time.

The work of righteousness will be peace; the service of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever.

18 And My people have dwelt in a peaceful habitation, And in steadfast dwelling places, And in quiet resting places.

Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place, in safe and secure places of rest.

19 And it has hailed in the going down of the forest, And the city is low in the valley.

But hail will level the forest, and the city will sink to the depths.

20 Blessed [are] you sowing by all waters, Sending forth the foot of the ox and the donkey!

Blessed are those who sow beside abundant waters, who let the ox and donkey range freely.