Isaiah 32

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

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

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

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

⁵ The fool wil no longer be cal ed generous, nor the rascal be styled bountiful.

⁶ For the fool speaks fol y and his heart is set on vil ainy; he is godless in his actions and his wordsascribe error to Yahweh; he starves the hungry of their food and refuses drink to the thirsty.

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹³ for my people's soil where the bramble-bush wil be growing and for al the happy houses, for therejoicing city.

¹⁴ For the citadel wil be abandoned and the thronged city deserted, Ophel and the Keep wil be denudedfor ever, the playground of wild donkeys and the pasture of flocks,

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

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

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

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

¹⁹ And should the forest be total y destroyed and the city gravely humiliated,

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