Isaiah 32

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

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

2 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.

A man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the storm, as streams of water in a dry place, as the shade of a large rock in a weary land.

3 Then the eyes of those who see will not be dim, and the ears of those who hear will hear attentively.

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

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

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

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

The fool will no longer be called noble, nor the scoundrel be highly respected.

6 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.

For the fool will speak folly, and his heart will work 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.

7 The deceiver's methods are evil. He devises wicked schemes to ruin the poor with lies, even when the poor say what is right.

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

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

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

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

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

10 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.

For days beyond a year you will be troubled, you careless women; for the vintage will fail. The harvest will not come.

11 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.

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

12 You will wail for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vines.

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

13 The land of my people will be overgrown with thorns and briers, even in all the once joyful houses in the city of revelry.

Thorns and briers will come up on my people’s land; yes, on all the houses of joy in the joyous city.

14 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;

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,

15 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.

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.

16 Then justice will reside in the wilderness; and righteousness will live in the fruitful field.

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

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

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

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

My people will live in a peaceful habitation, in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting places,

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

though hail flattens the forest, and the city is leveled completely.

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

Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send out the feet of the ox and the donkey.