Isaiah 32

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

Lo, for righteousness doth a king reign, As to princes, for judgment they rule.

2 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.

And each hath been as a hiding-place [from] wind, And as a secret hiding-place [from] inundation, As rivulets of waters in a dry place, As a shadow of a heavy rock in a weary land.

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

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

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

And the heart of those hastened Understandeth to know, And the tongue of stammerers hasteth to speak clearly.

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

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

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

For a fool speaketh folly, And his heart doth iniquity, to do profanity, And to speak concerning Jehovah error, To empty the soul of the hungry, Yea, drink of the thirsty he causeth to lack.

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

And the miser — his instruments [are] evil, He hath counselled wicked devices, To corrupt the poor with lying sayings, Even when the needy speaketh justly.

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

And the noble counselled noble things, And he for noble things riseth up.

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

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

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

Days and a year ye are troubled, O confident ones, For consumed hath been harvest, The gathering cometh not.

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 ye women, ye easy ones, Be troubled, ye confident ones, Strip and make bare, with a girdle on the loins,

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

For breasts they are lamenting, For fields of desire, for the fruitful vine.

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

Over the ground of my people thorn — brier goeth up, Surely over all houses of joy of the exulting city,

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,

Surely the palace hath been left, The multitude of the city forsaken, Fort and watch-tower hath been for dens unto the age, A joy of wild asses — 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 a forest.

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

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

And dwelt in the wilderness hath judgment, And righteousness in the fruitful field remaineth.

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

And a work of the righteousness hath been peace, And a service of the righteousness — Keeping quiet and confidence unto the age.

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

And dwelt hath My people in a peaceful habitation, And in stedfast tabernacles, And in quiet resting-places.

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

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

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

Happy [are] ye sowing by all waters, Sending forth the foot of the ox and the ass!