1 B ehold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.

Behold, a King will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice.

2 A nd a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

And each one of them shall be like a hiding place from the wind and a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.

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

Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed or dimmed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.

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

And the mind of the rash will understand knowledge and have good judgment, and the tongue of the stammerers will speak readily and plainly.

5 T he vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

The fool (the unbeliever and the ungodly) will no more be called noble, nor the crafty and greedy said to be bountiful and princely.

6 F or the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

For the fool speaks folly and his mind plans iniquity: practicing profane ungodliness and speaking error concerning the Lord, leaving the craving of the hungry unsatisfied and causing the drink of the thirsty to fail.

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

The instruments and methods of the fraudulent and greedy are evil; he devises wicked devices to ruin the poor and the lowly with lying words, even when the plea of the needy is just and right.

8 B ut the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.

But the noble, openhearted, and liberal man devises noble things; and he stands for what is noble, openhearted, and generous.

9 R ise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.

Rise up, you women who are at ease! Hear my voice, you confident and careless daughters! Listen to what I am saying!

10 M any days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.

In little more than a year you will be shaken with anxiety, you careless and complacent women; for the vintage will fail, and the ingathering will not come.

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

Tremble, you women who are at ease! Shudder with fear, you complacent ones! Strip yourselves bare and gird sackcloth upon your loins!

12 T hey shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

They shall beat upon their breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine,

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

For the land of my people growing over with thorns and briers—yes, for all the houses of joy in the joyous city.

14 b ecause the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;

For the palace shall be forsaken, the populous city shall be deserted; the hill and the watchtower shall become dens endlessly, a joy for wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks,

15 u ntil the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.

Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is valued as a forest.

16 T hen judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.

Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation) will abide in the fruitful field.

17 A nd the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever.

18 A nd my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;

My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting-places.

19 w hen it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.

But it shall hail, coming down overpoweringly on the forest, and the capital city shall be utterly humbled and laid prostrate.

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

Happy and fortunate are you who cast your seed upon all waters, you who safely send forth the ox and the donkey.