Isaiah 32
1 Look, 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 A man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a shelter from the storm, as streams of water in a dry place, as the shade of a large rock in a weary 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 The eyes of those who see will not be dim, and the ears of those who hear will listen.
Then everyone with eyes will be able to truly see, and everyone who has ears will be able to truly hear.
4 The heart of the rash will understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly.
Those whose minds are impulsive will be sensible and think things through; those who stammer will speak clearly.
5 And they will no longer call a fool noble, nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
No longer will fools be called respectable or crooks highly-regarded.
6 For the fool will speak folly, and his heart plans iniquity, to practice profanity, and to utter error against Jehovah, To make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
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 ways of the scoundrel are evil. He devises wicked devices to destroy the humble with lying words, even when the needy speaks 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 noble devises noble things; and he will continue in noble things.
But noble people act unselfishly; they keep to their principles of generosity.
9 Rise up, you women who are at ease. Hear my voice. You careless daughters, give ear to 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 For days beyond a year you will be troubled, you careless women; for the vintage shall fail. The harvest won't 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, you women who are at ease. Be troubled, you careless ones. Strip yourselves, make yourselves naked, and put sackcloth on your waist.
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 Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.
Beat your breasts in sadness over the loss of your lovely fields, your productive vines,
13 Thorns and briars will come up on my people's land; yes, on all the houses of joy in the joyous city.
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 For the palace will be forsaken. The populous city will be deserted. The hill and the watchtower will be for dens forever, a delight for wild donkeys, a pasture of 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 the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is considered 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 justice will dwell in the wilderness; and righteousness will remain 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 The work of righteousness will be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.
Living right will bring peace and security that endures.
18 My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
My people will live in peace, safe and secure in their homes.
19 And it will hail when the forest comes down, and the wood is brought low in humiliation.
Even though hail can destroy a forest, and a town can be demolished,
20 Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who set free the foot of the ox and the donkey.
you will be happy as you sow your crops beside the waters and let your cattle and donkeys roam freely.
