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

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

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

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 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 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.

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

But the noble devises noble things; and he will continue in noble things.

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 careless 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.

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; Be troubled, you complacent daughters; Strip, undress and put sackcloth on your waist,

Tremble, you women who are at ease! Be troubled, you careless ones! Strip yourselves, make yourselves naked, and put sackcloth on your waist.

12 B eat your 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 in which thorns and briars shall come up; Yea, for all the joyful houses and for the jubilant city.

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

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 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 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 will abide in the fertile field.

Then justice will dwell in the wilderness; and righteousness will 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 confidence forever.

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

My people will live in a peaceful habitation, in safe 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 flattens the forest, and the city is leveled completely.

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 the feet of the ox and the donkey.