Isaiah 32

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

1Look, a king will rule with fairness, and his leaders will govern with justice.

2And 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.

2Each of them will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in a desert and the shade of a massive rock in a dry, tired land.

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

3Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will truly listen.

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

4People who act without thinking will gain understanding, and those who stutter will speak clearly and fluently.

5The fool shall be no more called noble, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

5A fool will no longer be called a noble person, and a scoundrel will not be considered honorable.

6For the fool will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise 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.

6For a fool speaks nonsense and his mind plans evil; he practices ungodly acts and says wrong things about the LORD; he leaves the hungry empty and takes away the drink of the thirsty.

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

7A scoundrel uses evil methods; he dreams up wicked schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the needy have a just cause.

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

8But a noble person makes noble plans, and by his noble deeds he stands firm.

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

9Stand up, you women who are so comfortable, and listen to me; you daughters who feel so secure, hear what I have to say.

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

10In a little over a year, you who feel secure will tremble; for the grape harvest will fail, and no fruit will be gathered.

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

11Tremble, you pampered women; be troubled, you who feel safe. Strip off your fine clothes and put on sackcloth around your waists.

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

12Beat your breasts in grief for the pleasant fields and for the fruitful vines.

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

13Thorns and briers will grow over the land of my people; they will grow over every happy home and this joyful city.

14For 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;

14The palace will be abandoned, and the noisy city will be deserted; the fortress and the watchtower will become dens forever, a place where wild donkeys play and flocks graze,

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

15until the Spirit is poured out on us from heaven. Then the desert will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will seem like a forest.

16Then justice shall dwell in the wilderness; and righteousness shall abide in the fruitful field.

16Justice will settle in the desert, and righteousness will live in the fertile field.

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

17The result of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.

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

18My people will live in peaceful places, in safe homes, and in quiet resting spots.

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

19Even if hail flattens the forest and the city is completely brought low,

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

20you will be blessed as you plant your seeds near every stream, letting your cattle and donkeys graze freely.