Isaiah 32

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

Behold a king shall reign in justice, and princes shell rule in judgment.

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 when one is hid from the wind, and hideth himself from a storm, as rivers of waters in drought, and the shadow of a rock that standeth out in a desert land.

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

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

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 fools shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of stammerers shall speak readily and plain.

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

The fool shall no more be called prince: neither shall the deceitful be called great:

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 foolish things, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and speak to the Lord deceitfully, and to make empty the soul of the hungry, and take away drink from the thirsty.

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.

The vessels of the deceitful are most wicked: for he hath framed devices to destroy the meek, with lying words, when the poor man speaketh judgment.

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

But the prince will devise such things as are worthy of a prince, and he shall stand above the rulers.

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

Rise up, ye rich women, and hear my voice: ye confident 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 after days and a year, you that are confident shall be troubled: for the vintage is at an end, the gathering shall come no more.

11 Tremble, you women who are at ease! Be troubled, you careless ones! Strip yourselves, make yourselves naked, and put sackcloth on your waist.

Be astonished, ye rich women, be troubled, ye confident ones: strip yen, and be confounded, gird your loins.

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

Mourn for your breasts, for the delightful country, for the fruitful vineyard.

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

Upon the land of my people shall thorns and briers come up: how much more upon all the houses of joy, of the city that rejoiced?

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 house is forsaken, the multitude of the city is left, darkness and obscurity are come upon its dens for ever. A joy of wild asses, the pastures 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 desert shall be as a charmel, and charmel shall be counted for a forest.

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

And judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and justice shall sit in charmel.

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

And the work of justice shall be peace, and the service of justice quietness, and security for ever.

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

And my people shall sit in the beauty of peace, and in the tabernacles of confidence, and in wealthy rest.

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

But hail shall be in the descent of the forest, and the city shall be made very low.

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

Blessed are ye that sow upon all waters, sending thither the foot of the ox and the ass.