Isaiah 32

Great(i) 1 Beholde, a king shall gouerne after the rule of ryghtewesnesse, and the princes shall rule, accordyng to the balaunce of equitye. 2 And that man shalbe vnto men as a defence for the wynd, and as a refuge for the tempest: lyke as a riuer of water in a thirstye place, and the shadowe of a greate rocke in a drye lande. 3 The eyes of the seynge shall not be dym, and the cares of them that heare, shall take diligent hede. 4 The hert of the vnwyse shall attayne to knowledge, and the vnparfyte tong shall speake playnely and distinctlye. 5 Then shall the folyshe nygarde be nomore called gentle, ner the churle liberall. 6 But the nygarde will be nigardly minded, and his hert wyll worke euell and playe the ypocrite, and ymagyn abhominations agaynst God, to make the hongry leane, and to witholde drincke from the thirsty. 7 These are the perlous weapons of the churlysh, these be his shamefull councels: that he maye begyle the poore with disceatfull wordes: yee, euen there as he shulde geue sentence with the poore. 8 But the lyberall persone ymagineth honest thynges, & commeth vp for liberalytie vnto promotyon: 9 Up (ye ryche and ydell women) herken vnto my voyce. Ye careles cities, marke my wordes. 10 After yeares and dayes shall ye be brought in feare, O ye careles cities. For haruest shalbe out, & the grape gatherynge shall not come. 11 O ye rych ydell cities ye that feare no parell. Be abashed, you that lyue in aboundaunce: tremble, you that lyue careles: cast of your rayment, make your selues bare, put sacke cloth aboute you. 12 For as the infantes wepe when their mothers tetes ar dryed: so shall you weape for your fayre feldes and frutefull vyneyardes. 13 My peoples felde shall brynge thornes and thistles: and so shall it be euen in euery house of volupteousnesse and in euery citye that reioyseth. 14 The palaces also shalbe broken, & the greatly occupyed cityes desolate. The towres and bulwarckes shall become dennes for euermore, the pleasure of mules shalbe turned to pasture for shepe: 15 vnto the tyme that the sprete be powred vpon vs from aboue. Then shall the wyldernes be a frutefull felde, and the plenteous feld shalbe rekened for a wodde. 16 Then shall equytie dwell in the desert, and rigteousnes in a frutefull land. 17 And the rewarde of righteousnesse shalbe peace, and her frute rest & quietnes for euer. 18 And my people shall dwell in the ynnes of peace, and in sure dwellinges in safe places of conforte. 19 And when the hayle falleth, it shall fall in the wodde, and the citye shalbe set lowe in the valleye. 20 O howe happy shall ye be, when ye shall safely sowe your seed besyde all waters, and dryue thyther the fete of your oxen and asses.