Isaiah 32

1 Lo! the kyng schal regne in riytfulnesse, and princes schulen be souereyns in doom.

For, behold, a righteous king shall reign, and princes shall govern with judgment.

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.

And a man shall hide his words, and be hidden, as from rushing water, and shall appear in Sion as a rushing river, glorious in a thirsty land.

3 The iyen of profetis schulen not dasewe, and the eeris of heereris schulen herke diligentli;

And they shall no more trust in men, but they shall incline their ears to hear.

4 and the herte of foolis schal vndurstonde kunnyng, and the tunge of stuttynge men schal speke swiftli, and pleynli.

And the heart of the weak ones shall attend to hear, and the stammering tongues shall soon learn to speak peace.

5 He that is vnwijs, schal no more be clepid prince, and a gileful man schal not be clepid the grettere.

And they shall no more at all tell a fool to rule, and thy servants shall no more at all say, Be silent.

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 shall speak foolish words, and his heart shall meditate vanities, and to perform lawless deeds and to speak error against the Lord, to scatter hungry souls, and he will cause the thirsty souls to be empty.

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.

For the counsel of the wicked will devise iniquity, to destroy the poor with unjust words, and ruin the cause of the poor in judgment.

8 Forsothe a prince schal thenke tho thingis that ben worthi to a prince, and he schal stonde ouer duykis.

But the godly have devised wise [measures], and this counsel shall stand.

9 Riche wymmen, rise ye, and here my vois; douytris tristynge, perseyue ye with eeris my speche.

Rise up, ye rich women, and hear my voice; ye confident daughters, hearken to my words.

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.

Remember for a full year in pain, yet with hope: the vintage has been cut off; it has ceased, it shall by no means come again.

11 Ye riche wymmen, be astonyed; ye that tristen, be disturblid; vnclothe ye you, and be ye aschamed;

Be amazed, be pained, ye confident ones: strip you, bare yourselves, gird your loins;

12 girde youre leendis; weile ye on brestis, on desirable cuntrei, on the plenteuouse vyner.

and beat your breasts, because of the pleasant field, and the fruit of the 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?

[As for] the land of my people, the thorn and grass shall come upon [it], and joy shall be removed from every house.

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;

[As for] the rich city, the houses are deserted; they shall abandon the wealth of the city, [and] the pleasant houses: and the villages shall be caves for ever, the joy of wild asses, shepherds' pastures;

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 shall come upon you from on high, and Chermel shall be desert, and Chermel shall be counted for a forest.

16 And doom schal dwelle in wildirnesse, and riytfulnesse schal sitte in Chermel;

Then judgment shall abide in the wilderness, and righteousness shall dwell in Carmel.

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.

And the works of righteousness shall be peace; and righteousness shall ensure rest, and [the righteous] shall be confident for ever.

18 And my puple schal sitte in the fairnesse of pees, and in the tabernaclis of trist, and in riche reste.

And his people shall inhabit a city of peace, and dwell in [it] in confidence, and they shall rest with wealth.

19 But hail schal be in the coming doun of the foreste, and bi lownesse the citee schal be maad low.

And if the hail should come down, it shall not come upon you; and they that dwell in the forests shall be in confidence, as those in the plain country.

20 Blessid ben ye, that sowen on alle watris, and putten yn the foot of an oxe and of an asse.

Blessed are they that sow by every water, where the ox and ass tread.