1 L o, for righteousness doth a king reign, As to princes, for judgment they rule.

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

2 A nd each hath been as a hiding-place wind, And as a secret hiding-place inundation, As rivulets of waters in a dry place, As a shadow of a heavy rock in a weary land.

And a man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as streams of water in a dry place, as the shade of a great rock in a weary land.

3 A nd not dazzled are the eyes of beholders, And the ears of hearers do attend.

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

4 A nd the heart of those hastened Understandeth to know, And the tongue of stammerers hasteth to speak clearly.

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

5 A fool is no more called `noble,' And to a miser it is not said, `rich;'

The fool shall be no more called noble, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

6 F or a fool speaketh folly, And his heart doth iniquity, to do profanity, And to speak concerning Jehovah error, To empty the soul of the hungry, Yea, drink of the thirsty he causeth to lack.

For the fool will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise profaneness, 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 A nd the miser -- his instruments evil, He hath counselled wicked devices, To corrupt the poor with lying sayings, Even when the needy speaketh justly.

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

8 A nd the noble counselled noble things, And he for noble things riseth up.

But the noble deviseth noble things; and in noble things shall he continue.

9 W omen, easy ones, rise, hear my voice, Daughters, confident ones, give ear my saying,

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

10 D ays and a year ye are troubled, O confident ones, For consumed hath been harvest, The gathering cometh not.

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

11 T remble ye women, ye easy ones, Be troubled, ye confident ones, Strip and make bare, with a girdle on the loins,

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

12 F or breasts they are lamenting, For fields of desire, for the fruitful vine.

They shall smite upon the breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

13 O ver the ground of my people thorn -- brier goeth up, Surely over all houses of joy of the exulting city,

Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city.

14 S urely the palace hath been left, The multitude of the city forsaken, Fort and watch-tower hath been for dens unto the age, A joy of wild asses -- a pasture of herds;

For the palace shall be forsaken; the populous city shall be deserted; the hill and the watch-tower shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;

15 T ill emptied out on us is the Spirit from on high, And a wilderness hath become a fruitful field, And the fruitful field for a forest is reckoned.

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

16 A nd dwelt in the wilderness hath judgment, And righteousness in the fruitful field remaineth.

Then justice shall dwell in the wilderness; and righteousness shall abide in the fruitful field.

17 A nd a work of the righteousness hath been peace, And a service of the righteousness -- Keeping quiet and confidence unto the age.

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

18 A nd dwelt hath My people in a peaceful habitation, And in stedfast tabernacles, And in quiet resting-places.

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

19 A nd it hath hailed in the going down of the forest, And in the valley is the city low.

But it shall hail in the downfall of the forest; and the city shall be utterly laid low.

20 H appy ye sowing by all waters, Sending forth the foot of the ox and the ass!

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