Isaiah, 32

1. See, a king will reign justly and princes will rule rightly.

1. There will be a king who reigns uprightly and princes who rule with fair judgement;

2. Each of them will be a shelter from the wind, a retreat from the rain. They will be like streams of water in a dry country, like the shade of a great rock in a parched land.

2. each will be like a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the storm, like streams on arid ground, like the shade of a solid rock in a desolate land.

3. The eyes of those who see will not be closed;. the ears of those who hear will be attentive,

3. The eyes of seers will no longer be closed, the ears of hearers will be alert,

4. No more will the fool be called noble, nor the trickster be considered honorable,

4. the heart of the hasty will learn to think things over, and the tongue of stammerers will speak promptly and clearly.

5.

5. The fool will no longer be called generous, nor the rascal be styled bountiful.

6. For the fool speaks foolishly, planning evil in his heart:. How to do wickedness, to speak perversely against the LORD, To let the hungry go empty and the thirsty be without drink,

6. For the fool speaks folly and his heart is set on villainy; he is godless in his actions and his words ascribe error to Yahweh; he starves the hungry of their food and refuses drink to the thirsty.

7. And the trickster uses wicked trickery, planning crimes: How to ruin the poor with lies, and the needy when they plead their case.

7. Everything to do with the rascal is evil, he devises infamous plans to ruin the poor with lying words even when the needy has right on his side;

8. But the noble man plans noble things, and by noble things he stands.

8. but the noble person plans only noble things, noble his every move.

9. O complacent ladies, rise up and hear my voice, overconfident women, give heed to my words.

9. Stand up, you haughty women, listen to my words; you over-confident daughters, pay attention to what I say.

10. In a little more than a year you overconfident ones will be shaken; The vintage will fail, there will be no harvest.

10. Within one year and a few days you will tremble, you over-confident women; grape-harvesting will be finished, gathering will never happen again.

11. Tremble, you who are complacent! Shudder, you who are overconfident! Strip yourselves bare, with only a loincloth to cover you,

11. Shudder, you haughty women, tremble, you over-confident women; strip, undress, put sackcloth round your waists.

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

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

13. And the soil of my people, overgrown whth thorns and briers; For all the joyful houses, the wanton city.

13. for my people's soil where the bramble-bush will be growing and for all the happy houses, for the rejoicing city.

14. Yes, the castle will be forsaken, the noisy city deserted;

14. For the citadel will be abandoned and the thronged city deserted, Ophel and the Keep will be denuded for ever, the playground of wild donkeys and the pasture of flocks,

15. Until the spirit from on high is poured out on us. Then will the desert become an orchard and the orchard be regarded as a forest.

15. until the spirit is poured out on us from above, and the desert becomes an orchard, and an orchard that seems like a forest.

16. Right will dwell in the desert and justice abide in the orchard.

16. Fair judgement will fix its home in the desert, and uprightness live in this orchard,

17. Justice will bring about peace; right will produce calm and security.

17. and the product of uprightness will be peace, the effect of uprightness being quiet and security for ever.

18. My people will live in peaceful country, in secure dwellings and quiet resting places.

18. My people will live in a peaceful home, in peaceful houses, tranquil dwellings.

19. Down it comes, as trees come down in the forest! The city will be utterly laid low. Hill and tower will become wasteland forever for wild asses to frolic in, and flocks to pasture,

19. And should the forest be totally destroyed and the city gravely humiliated,

20. Happy are you who sow beside every stream, and let the ox and the ass go freely!

20. You will be happy to sow wherever there is water and to let the ox and donkey roam free.