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

Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice.

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.

A man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the storm, as streams of water in a dry place, as the shade of a large rock in a weary 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.

The eyes of those who see will not be dim, 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 heart of the rash will understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly.

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.

The fool will no longer be called noble, nor the scoundrel be highly respected.

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 the fool will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice profanity, and to utter error against Yahweh, To make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

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.

The ways of the scoundrel are evil. He devises wicked devices to destroy the humble with lying words, even when the needy speaks 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 devises noble things; and he will continue in noble things.

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! Hear my voice! You careless daughters, give ear to my speech!

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.

For days beyond a year you will be troubled, you careless women; for the vintage shall fail. The harvest won’t 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 careless ones! Strip yourselves, make yourselves naked, 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.

Thorns and briers will come up on my people’s land; yes, on all the houses of joy in the joyous 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,

For the palace will be forsaken. The populous city will be deserted. The hill and the watchtower will be for dens forever, a delight for wild donkeys, a pasture of 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 on us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is considered 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 remain in the fruitful field.

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

The work of righteousness will be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.

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

My people will live in a peaceful habitation, in safe dwellings, and in quiet 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.

Though hail flattens the forest, and the city is leveled completely.

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

Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send out the feet of the ox and the donkey.