< Isaiah 32 >
1 Lo! the kyng schal regne in riytfulnesse, and princes schulen be souereyns in doom.
Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice.
2 And a man schal be, as he that is hid fro wynd, and hidith hym silf fro tempest; as stremes of watris in thirst, and the schadewe of a stoon stondynge fer out in a desert lond.
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 The iyen of profetis schulen not dasewe, and the eeris of heereris schulen herke diligentli;
The eyes of those who see will not be dim, and the ears of those who hear will listen.
4 and the herte of foolis schal vndurstonde kunnyng, and the tunge of stuttynge men schal speke swiftli, and pleynli.
The heart of the rash will understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly.
5 He that is vnwijs, schal no more be clepid prince, and a gileful man schal not be clepid the grettere.
The fool will no longer be called noble, nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
6 Forsothe a fool shal speke foli thingis, and his herte schal do wickidnesse, that he performe feynyng, and speke to the Lord gilefuli; and he schal make voide the soule of an hungry man, and schal take awei drynke fro a thirsti man.
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 vessels of a gileful man ben worste; for he schal make redi thouytis to leese mylde men in the word of a leesyng, whanne a pore man spak doom.
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 Forsothe a prince schal thenke tho thingis that ben worthi to a prince, and he schal stonde ouer duykis.
But the noble devises noble things, and he will continue in noble things.
9 Riche wymmen, rise ye, and here my vois; douytris tristynge, perseyue ye with eeris my speche.
Rise up, you women who are at ease! Hear my voice! You careless daughters, give ear to my speech!
10 For whi aftir daies and a yeer, and ye that tristen schulen be disturblid; for whi vyndage is endid, gaderyng schal no more come.
For days beyond a year you will be troubled, you careless women; for the vintage will fail. The harvest will not come.
11 Ye riche wymmen, be astonyed; ye that tristen, be disturblid; vnclothe ye you, and be ye aschamed;
Tremble, you women who are at ease! Be troubled, you careless ones! Strip yourselves, make yourselves naked, and put sackcloth on your waist.
12 girde youre leendis; weile ye on brestis, on desirable cuntrei, on the plenteuouse vyner.
Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.
13 Thornes and breris schulen stie on the erthe of my puple; hou myche more on alle the housis of ioie of the citee makynge ful out ioie?
Thorns and briers will come up on my people’s land; yes, on all the houses of joy in the joyous city.
14 For whi the hous is left, the multitude of the citee is forsakun; derknessis and gropyng ben maad on dennes, `til in to with outen ende. The ioie of wield assis is the lesewe of flockis;
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 til the spirit be sched out on us fro an hiy, and the desert schal be in to Chermel, and Chermel schal be arettid in to 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 And doom schal dwelle in wildirnesse, and riytfulnesse schal sitte in Chermel;
Then justice will dwell in the wilderness; and righteousness will remain in the fruitful field.
17 and the werk of riytfulnesse schal be pees, and the tilthe of riytfulnesse schal be stilnesse and sikirnesse, `til in to with outen ende.
The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.
18 And my puple schal sitte in the fairnesse of pees, and in the tabernaclis of trist, and in riche reste.
My people will live in a peaceful habitation, in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting places,
19 But hail schal be in the coming doun of the foreste, and bi lownesse the citee schal be maad low.
though hail flattens the forest, and the city is leveled completely.
20 Blessid ben ye, that sowen on alle watris, and putten yn the foot of an oxe and of an asse.
Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send out the feet of the ox and the donkey.