< Isaiah 32 >
1 Listen to this! Some day there will be a righteous king, and his officials will help him to rule justly/fairly.
Behold, a King shall reigne in iustice, and the princes shall rule in iudgement.
2 Each [of them] will be like [MET] a shelter from the wind and a (refuge/place to be protected) from the storm. They will be like [SIM] streams of water in the desert, like the shade under a huge rock in a very hot and dry land.
And that man shall bee as an hiding place from the winde, and as a refuge for the tempest: as riuers of water in a drie place, and as the shadowe of a great rocke in a weary land.
3 When that happens, [those leaders will enable] people who have not understood [MET] [God’s truth] to understand it, and [they will enable] those who have not paid attention to [MET] [God’s truth] to pay attention to it.
The eyes of the seeing shall not be shut, and the eares of them that heare, shall hearken.
4 [Even] those who act very hastily will have good sense, and those who cannot speak well will speak fluently and clearly.
And the heart of the foolish shall vnderstand knowledge, and the tongue of the stutters shalbe ready to speake distinctly.
5 [At that time], people who are foolish/unwise will no longer be (admired/looked up to), and scoundrels will no longer be respected.
A nigard shall no more be called liberall, nor the churle riche.
6 Foolish people say things that are foolish, and they plan to do evil things. Their behavior is disgraceful, and they say things about Yahweh that are false. They do not give food to those who are hungry, and they do not give water to those who are thirsty.
But the nigarde will speake of nigardnesse, and his heart will worke iniquitie, and do wickedly, and speake falsely against the Lord, to make emptie the hungrie soule, and to cause the drinke of the thirstie to faile.
7 Scoundrels do things that are evil and that deceive people; they plan to do evil things; by telling lies [in court] they cause poor people to (have trouble/be convicted), even when what the poor [people] are requesting is fair/just.
For the weapons of the churle are wicked: hee deuiseth wicked counsels, to vndoe the poore with lying words: and to speake against the poore in iudgement.
8 But honorable people plan to do honorable/good things, and they do the honorable/good things that they plan to do.
But the liberall man will deuise of liberall things, and he will continue his liberalitie.
9 You women [of Jerusalem] who think that you are very secure/safe and think that everything is going well, listen to [IDM] what I say!
Rise vp, ye women that are at ease: heare my voyce, ye carelesse daughters: hearken to my wordes.
10 One year from now, you who now (are not worried about anything/think that everything is going well) will tremble, because there will be no grapes for you to harvest and no [other] crops to harvest.
Yee women, that are carelesse, shall be in feare aboue a yeere in dayes: for the vintage shall faile, and the gatherings shall come no more.
11 [So] tremble [now], you women who are not worried about anything! Take off your [fancy] clothes and put rough sackcloth around your waists.
Yee women, that are at ease, be astonied: feare, O yee carelesse women: put off the clothes: make bare, and girde sackcloth vpon the loynes.
12 Beat/Hit your breasts to show that you are grieving about [what will happen in] your fertile fields and to your fruitful grapevines,
Men shall lament for the teates, euen for the pleasant fieldes, and for the fruitefull vine.
13 because [only] thorns and thistles will grow in your soil. Your houses where you had joyful parties and your city where you have been happy will be gone.
Vpon the lande of my people shall growe thornes and briers: yea, vpon all the houses of ioye in the citie of reioysing,
14 The [king’s] palace will be empty; there will be no people in the city that [now] is very noisy. Wild donkeys will walk around and flocks of sheep will eat grass in the empty forts and watchtowers.
Because the palace shalbe forsaken, and the noise of the citie shalbe left: the towre and fortresse shalbe dennes for euer, and the delite of wilde asses, and a pasture for flockes,
15 [It will be like that] until God pours his Spirit out on us from heaven. [When that happens], the deserts will become fertile fields, and abundant crops will grow in those fertile fields.
Vntill the Spirit be powred vpon vs from aboue, and the wildernes become a fruitfull fielde, and the plenteous fielde be counted as a forest.
16 People [PRS] will act/rule justly/fairly in those desert areas, and people will act/rule righteously in those fertile fields.
And iudgement shall dwel in the desert, and iustice shall remaine in the fruitfull fielde.
17 And the result of their acting righteously will be that there will be peace, the land will be tranquil/quiet, and people will be secure/safe forever.
And the worke of iustice shall bee peace, euen the worke of iustice and quietnesse, and assurance for euer.
18 My people will live in their homes peacefully, and safely, and calmly, in places of rest.
And my people shall dwell in the tabernacle of peace, and in sure dwellings, and in safe resting places.
19 [Even if a severe] hailstorm knocks down [the trees in] the forest, and [all the buildings in] the city are blown down,
When it haileth, it shall fall on the forest, and the citie shall be set in the lowe place.
20 Yahweh [will greatly] bless you; you will plant [seeds in fields] alongside the streams [and there will be abundant crops]. Your donkeys and cattle will easily find grass to eat.
Blessed are ye that sowe vpon all waters, and driue thither the feete of the oxe and the asse.