Isaiah 32

1 Look, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice.

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

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 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 The eyes of those who see will not be dim, and the ears of those who hear will listen.

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

4 The heart of the rash will understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly.

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

5 And they will no longer call a fool noble, nor the scoundrel be highly respected.

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

6 For the fool will speak folly, and his heart plans iniquity, to practice profanity, and to utter error against the LORD, To make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

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 The ways of the scoundrel are evil. He devises wicked devices to destroy the humble with lying words, even when the needy speaks right.

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 But the noble devises noble things; and he will continue in noble things.

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

9 Rise up, you women who are at ease. Hear my voice. You careless daughters, give ear to my speech.

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

10 For days beyond a year you will be troubled, you careless women; for the vintage shall fail. The harvest won't 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 who are at ease. Be troubled, you careless ones. Strip yourselves, make yourselves naked, and put sackcloth on your waist.

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

12 Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

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

13 Thorns and briars will come up on my people's land; yes, on all the houses of joy in the joyous 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 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;

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 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 upon us from on high. Then the desert will be an orchard, and the orchard will seem like a forest.

16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness; and righteousness will remain in the fruitful field.

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

17 The work of righteousness will be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.

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

18 My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting places.

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

19 And it will hail when the forest comes down, and the wood is brought low in humiliation.

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

20 Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who set free the foot of the ox and the donkey.

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