1 B ehold, a King will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice.

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

2 A nd 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.

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

Then the eyes of those who see will not be blinded, And the ears of those who hear will listen.

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

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

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

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

6 F or 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.

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 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.

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

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

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

Rise up, you women who are at ease, And hear my voice; Give ear to my word, You complacent daughters.

10 I n 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.

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, you women who are at ease! Shudder with fear, you complacent ones! Strip yourselves 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 beat upon their breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine,

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

13 F or the land of my people growing over with thorns and briers—yes, for 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 F or 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,

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 is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is valued as 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 justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation) will abide in the fruitful field.

Then justice will dwell in the wilderness And righteousness will abide in the fertile field.

17 A nd the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever.

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

18 M y people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, in safe 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 B ut it shall hail, coming down overpoweringly on the forest, and the capital city shall be utterly humbled and laid prostrate.

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

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

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