Isaiah 32

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

Look, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in 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 one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a land of weariness.

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 not be dim, and the ears of those who hear will hear attentively.

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

The rash will think carefully with understanding, and the stutterer will speak distinctly and with ease.

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

The fool will no longer be called honorable, nor the deceiver called principled.

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 the fool speaks folly, and his heart plans evil and godless actions, and he speaks wrongly against Yahweh. He makes the hungry empty, and the thirsty he causes to lack 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 deceiver's methods are evil. He devises wicked schemes to ruin the poor with lies, even when the poor say what is right.

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

But the honorable man makes honorable plans; and because of his honorable actions he will stand.

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

Rise up, you women who are at ease, and listen to my voice; you carefree daughters, 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.

For in a little more than a year your confidence will be broken, you carefree women, for the grape harvest will fail, the ingathering will not come.

11 Tremble, you women who are at ease. Be troubled, you careless ones. Strip yourselves, make yourselves naked, and put sackcloth on your waist.

Tremble, you women who are at ease; be troubled, you confident ones; take off your fine clothes and make yourselves bare; put on sackcloth around your waists.

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

You will wail 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.

The land of my people will be overgrown with thorns and briers, even in all the once joyful houses in the 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 crowded city will be deserted; the hill and the watchtower will become caves forever, a joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of 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 on us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is considered as a forest.

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

Then justice will reside in the wilderness; and righteousness will live in the fruitful 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; and the result of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.

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

My people will live in a peaceful habitation, in secure homes, and in quiet resting places.

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

But even if it hails and the forest is destroyed, and the city is completely annihilated,

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

you who sow beside all the streams will be blessed, you who send out your ox and donkey to graze.