Isaiah 32

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

See, a king will be ruling in righteousness, and chiefs will give right decisions.

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 will be as a safe place from the wind, and a cover from the storm; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shade of a great rock in a waste land.

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

And the eyes of those who see will not be shut, and those who have hearing will give ear to the word.

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

The man of sudden impulses will become wise in heart, and he whose tongue is slow will get the power of talking clearly.

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

The foolish man will no longer be named noble, and they will not say of the false man that he is a man of honour.

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 foolish man will say foolish things, having evil thoughts in his heart, working what is unclean, and talking falsely about the Lord, to keep food from him who is in need of it, and water from him whose soul is desiring it.

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 designs of the false are evil, purposing the destruction of the poor man by false words, even when he is in the right.

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

But the noble-hearted man has noble purposes, and by these he will be guided.

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

Give ear to my voice, you women who are living in comfort; give attention to my words, you daughters who have no fear of danger.

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

In not much more than a year, you, who are not looking for evil, will be troubled: for the produce of the vine-gardens will be cut off, and there will be no getting in of the grapes.

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

Be shaking with fear, you women who are living in comfort; be troubled, you who have no fear of danger: take off your robes and put on clothing of grief.

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

Have sorrow for the fields, the pleasing fields, the fertile vine;

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, where thorns will come up; even for all the houses of joy in the glad town.

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 fair houses will have no man living in them; the town which was full of noise will become a waste; the hill and the watchtower will be unpeopled for ever, a joy for the asses of the woods, a place of food for the 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.

Till the spirit comes on us from on high, and the waste land becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field is changed into a wood.

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

Then in the waste land there will be an upright rule, and righteousness will have its place 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.

And the work of righteousness will be peace; and the effect of an upright rule will be to take away fear for ever.

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

And my people will be living in peace, in houses where there is no fear, 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 the tall trees will come down with a great fall, and the town will be low in a low place.

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

Happy are you who are planting seed by all the waters, and sending out the ox and the ass.