Isaiah 32

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

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

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 a man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as streams of water in a dry place, as the shade of a great 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 the eyes of those who see shall not be dim, and the ears of those who hear shall hearken.

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 the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.

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

The fool shall no more be called noble, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

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

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 instruments of the churl are evil. He devises wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaks right.

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

But a noble man devises noble things, and in noble things he shall continue.

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

Rise up, ye women who are at ease. Hear my voice, ye careless daughters. Give ear to my speech.

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

For ye shall be troubled days beyond a year, ye careless women. For the vintage shall fail; the ingathering shall 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, ye women who are at ease. Be troubled, ye careless ones. Strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.

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

They shall beat upon the breasts for the pleasant fields, 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.

Thorns and briers shall come up on the land of my people, yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous 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,

For the palace shall be forsaken. The populous city shall be deserted. The hill and the watch-tower shall be for dens 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 be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest.

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

Then justice shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness shall abide in the fruitful field.

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

And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.

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

And my people shall abide in a peaceable habitation, and in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting-places.

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

But it shall hail in the downfall of the forest, and the city shall be utterly laid low.

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

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