Isaiah 32

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

For, behold, a righteous king shall reign, and princes shall govern with judgment.

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 hide his words, and be hidden, as from rushing water, and shall appear in Sion as a rushing river, glorious in a thirsty land.

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

And they shall no more trust in men, but they shall incline their ears to hear.

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

And the heart of the weak ones shall attend to hear, and the stammering tongues shall soon learn to speak peace.

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

And they shall no more at all tell a fool to rule, and your servants shall no more at all say, Be silent.

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 shall speak foolish words, and his heart shall meditate vanities, and to perform lawless deeds and to speak error against the Lord, to scatter hungry souls, and he will cause the thirsty souls to be empty.

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.

For the counsel of the wicked will devise iniquity, to destroy the poor with unjust words, and ruin the cause of the poor in judgment.

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

But the godly have devised wise [measures], and this counsel shall stand.

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

Rise up, you rich women, and hear my voice; you confident daughters, listen to my words.

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

Remember for a full year in pain, yet with hope: the vintage has been cut off; it has ceased, it shall by no means come again.

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

Be amazed, be pained, you confident ones: strip you, bare yourselves, gird your loins;

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

and beat your breasts, because of the pleasant field, and the fruit of the vine.

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

[As for] the land of my people, the thorn and grass shall come upon [it], and joy shall be removed from every house.

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;

[As for] the rich city, the houses are deserted; they shall abandon the wealth of the city, [and] the pleasant houses: and the villages shall be caves for ever, the joy of wild asses, shepherds' pastures;

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 shall come upon you from on high, and Chermel shall be desert, and Chermel shall be counted for a forest.

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

Then judgment shall abide in the wilderness, and righteousness shall dwell in Carmel.

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 works of righteousness shall be peace; and righteousness shall ensure rest, and [the righteous] shall be confident for ever.

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

And his people shall inhabit a city of peace, and dwell in [it] in confidence, and they shall rest with wealth.

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

And if the hail should come down, it shall not come upon you; and they that dwell in the forests shall be in confidence, as those in the plain country.

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

Blessed are they that sow by every water, where the ox and ass tread.