Isaiah 32

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

Behold, a king reigns for righteousness, As for princes, they rule for judgment.

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.

And each has been as a hiding place [from] wind, And as a secret hiding place [from] inundation, As streams of waters in a dry place, As a shadow of a heavy 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.

And the eyes of beholders are not dazzled, And the ears of hearers attend.

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

And the heart of those hurried understands to know, And the tongue of stammerers hurries to speak clearly.

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

A fool is no more called “noble,” And to a miser it is not said, “rich”;

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 a fool speaks folly, And his heart does iniquity, to do profanity, And to speak error concerning YHWH, To empty the soul of the hungry, Indeed, he causes the thirsty to lack [their] drink.

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.

And the miser—his instruments [are] evil, He has counseled wicked schemes, To corrupt the poor with lying sayings, Even when the needy speaks justly.

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

And the noble counseled noble things, And he rises up for noble things.

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

Women, easy ones, rise, hear my voice, Daughters, confident ones, give ear [to] my saying,

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.

In days and a year You are troubled, O confident ones, For harvest has been consumed, The gathering does 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, you easy ones, Be troubled, you confident ones, Strip and make bare, with a girdle on the loins,

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

They are lamenting for breasts, For fields of desire, 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.

Over the ground of my people thorn [and] brier go up, Surely over all houses of joy of the exulting 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;

The palace has been left, The multitude of the city forsaken, Fort and watchtower have been for dens for all time, A joy of wild donkeys—a pasture of herds;

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 emptied out on us from on high, And a wilderness has become a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is reckoned for a forest.

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

And judgment has dwelt in the wilderness, And righteousness remains in the fruitful field.

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

And a work of the righteousness has been peace, And a service of the righteousness—Keeping quiet and confidence for all time.

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

And My people have dwelt in a peaceful habitation, And in steadfast dwelling places, And in quiet resting places.

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

And it has hailed in the going down of the forest, And the city is low in the valley.

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

Blessed [are] you sowing by all waters, Sending forth the foot of the ox and the donkey!