1 S ee, a king will rule by what is right and good and princes will be fair.

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

2 E ach will be like a safe place from the wind, and a covering from the storm. Each will be like rivers of water in a dry country, and like the shadow of a large rock in a waste land.

And a man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the storm; as brooks of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

3 T hen the eyes of those who see will be able to see. And the ears of those who hear will listen.

And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken;

4 T he mind of those who act in a hurry will understand the truth. And the tongue of those who have trouble speaking will hurry to speak well.

and the heart of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.

5 T he fool will no more be called great. The bad man will no more be called a man of honor.

The vile man shall be no more called noble, nor the churl said to be bountiful:

6 F or a fool speaks foolish things. His mind plans wrong-doing, to sin and to say false things against the Lord, to keep the hungry person hungry, and to keep drink from the thirsty.

for the vile man will speak villainy, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against Jehovah, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

7 T he ways of the bad man are sinful. He makes sinful plans to destroy the suffering with lies, even when the one in need asks for what is right.

The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the meek with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.

8 B ut the man of honor makes good plans, and he stands for what is good. The Women of Jerusalem

But the noble deviseth noble things; and to noble things doth he stand.

9 R ise up, you women who live an easy life, and hear my voice. Listen to what I say, you daughters.

Rise up, ye women that are at ease, hear my voice; ye careless daughters, give ear unto my speech.

10 I n a little more than a year, you will be troubled. There will be no grapes to gather, the wine will not be made.

In a year and days shall ye be troubled, ye careless women; for the vintage shall fail, the ingathering shall not come.

11 S hake with fear, you women who live an easy life. Be troubled, you daughters, who feel safe. Take off your clothes and cover your bodies with cloth made from hair.

Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones; strip you, and make you bare, and gird on your loins!

12 B eat your breasts for the good fields, for the vine full of fruit,

They shall smite on the breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vineyards.

13 a nd for the land of my people in which thorns and thistles will come up. Yes, be sorry for all the houses of joy, and for the happy city,

Upon the land of my people shall come up thistles briars, yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city.

14 b ecause the king’s house will be empty. The city full of people will be left empty. The hill and the watch-tower will become a place for wild animals forever, a happy place for wild donkeys, a field for flocks.

For the palace shall be deserted, the multitude of the city shall be forsaken; hill and watchtower shall be caves for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;

15 I t will be this way until the Spirit is poured out upon us from heaven, and the desert becomes a field giving so much fruit, that it seems as if it has many trees.

until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.

16 T hen what is right and fair will be in the desert. What is right and good will be in the field of much fruit.

And judgment shall inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness dwell in the fruitful field.

17 T he work of being right and good will give peace. From the right and good work will come quiet trust forever.

And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever.

18 T hen my people will live in a place of peace, in safe homes, and in quiet resting places.

And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting-places.

19 B ut it will hail when the many trees come down and all the city will be laid waste.

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

20 H ow happy will you be, you who plant seeds beside all waters, and let the cattle and donkeys eat in any field.

Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth the feet of the ox and the ass.