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

Behold, a king will reign righteously And princes will rule justly.

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.

Each 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.

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

Then the eyes of those who see will not be blinded, And the ears of those who hear will listen.

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

The mind of the hasty will discern the truth, And the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak clearly.

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

No longer will the fool be called noble, Or the rogue be spoken of as generous.

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 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.

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.

As 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.

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

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

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

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

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

Within 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.

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

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

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

Beat your 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,

For the land of my people in which thorns and briars shall come up; Yea, for all the joyful houses and for the jubilant 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;

Because 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;

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 is poured out upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fertile field, And the fertile field is considered as a forest.

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

Then justice will dwell in the wilderness And righteousness will abide in the fertile 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 will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.

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

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

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

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

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

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