1 B ehold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice.

See, a king will rule by what is right and good and princes will be fair.

2 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.

Each 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.

3 T he eyes of those who see will not be dim, and the ears of those who hear will listen.

Then the eyes of those who see will be able to see. And the ears of those who hear will listen.

4 T he heart of the rash will understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly.

The 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.

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

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

6 F or 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.

For 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.

7 T he ways of the scoundrel are evil. He devises wicked devices to destroy the humble with lying words, even when the needy speaks right.

The 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.

8 B ut the noble devises noble things; and he will continue in noble things.

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

9 R ise up, you women who are at ease! Hear my voice! You careless daughters, give ear to my speech!

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

10 F or days beyond a year you will be troubled, you careless women; for the vintage shall fail. The harvest won’t come.

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

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

Shake 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.

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

Beat your breasts for the good fields, for the vine full of fruit,

13 T horns and briers will come up on my people’s land; yes, on all the houses of joy in the joyous city.

and 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,

14 F or 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;

because 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.

15 U ntil the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is considered a forest.

It 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.

16 T hen justice will dwell in the wilderness; and righteousness will remain in the fruitful field.

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

17 T he work of righteousness will be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.

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

18 M y people will live in a peaceful habitation, in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting places.

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

19 T hough hail flattens the forest, and the city is leveled completely.

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

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

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