Isaiah 32

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

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

2 And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

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.

3 And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.

Then the eyes of those who see will not be dim, and the ears of those who hear will hear attentively.

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

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

5 The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

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

6 For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise profaneness, 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 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.

7 The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the meek with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.

The deceiver's methods are evil. He devises wicked schemes to ruin the poor with lies, even when the poor say what is right.

8 But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and in liberal things shall he continue.

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

9 Rise up, ye women that are at ease, [and] hear my voice; ye careless daughters, give ear unto my speech.

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

10 For days beyond a year shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the ingathering shall not come.

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.

11 Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird [sackcloth] upon your loins.

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.

12 They shall smite upon the breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

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

13 Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city:

The land of my people will be overgrown with thorns and briers, even in all the once joyful houses in the city of revelry.

14 For the palace shall be forsaken; the populous city shall be deserted; the hill and the watch-tower shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;

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;

15 until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for 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 as a forest.

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

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

17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and confidence for ever.

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

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

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

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

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

20 Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth the feet of the ox and the ass.

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