1 B ehold, a king will reign righteously And princes will rule justly.

Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, And princes will rule with justice.

2 E ach 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.

A man will be as a hiding place from the wind, And a cover from the tempest, As rivers of water in a dry place, As the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

3 T hen the eyes of those who see will not be blinded, 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 T he mind of the hasty will discern the truth, And the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak clearly.

Also the heart of the rash will understand knowledge, And the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly.

5 N o longer will the fool be called noble, Or the rogue be spoken of as generous.

The foolish person will no longer be called generous, Nor the miser said to be bountiful;

6 F or 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.

For the foolish person will speak foolishness, And his heart will work iniquity: To practice ungodliness, To utter error against the Lord, To keep the hungry unsatisfied, And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

7 A s 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.

Also the schemes of the schemer are evil; He devises wicked plans To destroy the poor with lying words, Even when the needy speaks justice.

8 B ut the noble man devises noble plans; And by noble plans he stands.

But a generous man devises generous things, And by generosity he shall stand. Consequences of Complacency

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

Rise up, you women who are at ease, Hear my voice; You complacent daughters, Give ear to my speech.

10 W ithin 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.

In a year and some days You will be troubled, you complacent women; For the vintage will fail, The gathering will not come.

11 T remble, you women who are at ease; Be troubled, you complacent daughters; Strip, undress and put sackcloth on your waist,

Tremble, you women who are at ease; Be troubled, you complacent ones; Strip yourselves, make yourselves bare, And gird sackcloth on your waists.

12 B eat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine,

People shall mourn upon their breasts For the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

13 F or the land of my people in which thorns and briars shall come up; Yea, for all the joyful houses and for the jubilant city.

On the land of my people will come up thorns and briers, Yes, on all the happy homes in the joyous city;

14 B ecause 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;

Because the palaces will be forsaken, The bustling city will be deserted. The forts and towers will become lairs forever, A joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks—

15 U ntil 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.

Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest. The Peace of God’s Reign

16 T hen justice will dwell in the wilderness And righteousness will abide in the fertile field.

Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness remain in the fruitful field.

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

The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.

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

My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places,

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

Though hail comes down on the forest, And the city is brought low in humiliation.

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

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