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

Behold, a king will reign righteously And princes will rule justly.

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.

Each will be like a refuge from the wind And a shelter from the storm, Like streams of water in a dry country, Like the shade of a huge rock in a parched 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 blinded, 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.

The mind of the hasty will discern the truth, And the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak clearly.

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

No longer will the fool be called noble, Or the rogue be spoken of as generous.

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 a fool speaks nonsense, And his heart inclines toward wickedness: To practice ungodliness and to speak error against the Lord, To keep the hungry person unsatisfied And to withhold drink from the thirsty.

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.

As for a rogue, his weapons are evil; He devises wicked schemes To destroy the afflicted with slander, Even though the needy one speaks what is right.

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

But the noble man devises noble plans; And by noble plans he stands.

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, And hear my voice; Give ear to my word, You complacent daughters.

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

Within a year and a few days You will be troubled, O complacent daughters; For the vintage is ended, And the fruit gathering 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; Be troubled, you complacent daughters; Strip, undress and put sackcloth on your waist,

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

Beat your 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 in which thorns and briars shall come up; Yea, for all the joyful houses and for the jubilant 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;

Because the palace has been abandoned, the populated city forsaken. Hill and watch-tower have become caves forever, A delight 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 out upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fertile field, And the fertile field is considered 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 will abide in the fertile field.

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

And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.

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

Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation, And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places;

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

And it will hail when the forest comes down, And the city will be utterly laid low.

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

How blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters, Who let out freely the ox and the donkey.