Isaiah, 32

¹ Look! A king will reign for righteousness, And princes will rule for justice.

² And each one will be like a hiding place^*1 from the wind, A place of concealment^*2 from the rainstorm, Like streams of water in a waterless land, Like the shadow of a massive crag in a parched land.

³ Then the eyes of those seeing will no longer be pasted shut, And the ears of those hearing will pay attention.

⁴ The heart of those who are impetuous will ponder over knowledge, And the stammering tongue will speak fluently and clearly.

⁵ The senseless one will no longer be called generous, And the unprincipled man will not be called noble;

⁶ For the senseless one will speak nonsense, And his heart will devise harmful things, To promote apostasy^*1 and to speak what is wayward against Jehovah, To cause the hungry one^*2 to go unfed And to deprive the thirsty one of something to drink.

⁷ The devices of the unprincipled man are bad; He promotes shameful conduct To ruin the afflicted one with lies, Even when the poor speaks what is right.

⁸ But the generous one has generous intentions, And in generous^*1 endeavors he perseveres.

⁹ “You complacent women, get up and listen to my voice! You carefree daughters, pay attention to what I say!

¹⁰ In a little over a year, you who are carefree will shudder, Because no fruit will have been gathered when the grape harvest ends.

¹¹ Tremble, you complacent women! Shudder, you who are carefree! Strip yourselves bare, And put sackcloth around your hips.

¹² Beat your breasts in lamentation Over the desirable fields and the fruitful vine.

¹³ For the ground of my people will be covered with thorns and briars; They will cover all the houses of rejoicing, Yes, the city of exultation.

¹⁴ For the fortified tower has been forsaken; The noisy city has been abandoned. Oʹphel and the watchtower have become a permanent wasteland, A delight for wild donkeys, A pasture for the flocks,

¹⁵ Until the spirit is poured out on us from above, And the wilderness becomes an orchard, And the orchard is regarded as a forest.

¹⁶ Then justice will reside in the wilderness, And righteousness will dwell in the orchard.

¹⁷ The result of true righteousness will be peace, And the fruitage of true righteousness will be lasting tranquility and security.

¹⁸ My people will dwell in a peaceful abiding place, In secure dwellings and in tranquil resting-places.

¹⁹ But the hail will flatten the forest, And the city will be completely leveled.

²⁰ Happy are you who sow seed alongside all waters, Who send out^*1 the bull and the donkey.”