1 Indeed, a king will reign in righteousness, and rulers will govern with justice.

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

2 Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in a dry land, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.

And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

3 The eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen attentively.

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

4 The mind of the rash will understand knowledge, and the tongue of stammerers will speak fluently and clearly.

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

5 No longer will a fool be called noble, nor the miser said to be generous.

The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

6 For the fool speaks folly, and his heart inclines toward wickedness: to practice ungodliness and to speak error about the Lord, leaving the hungry unsatisfied and depriving the thirsty of drink.

For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

7 The schemes of the wicked are evil; he devises wicked plans to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.

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

8 But a noble person makes honorable plans, and by honorable deeds he stands.

But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.

9 Rise up, you women who are at ease; listen to my voice! You daughters who feel secure, pay attention to what I say!

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

10 In little more than a year, you who feel secure will tremble, for the grape harvest will fail, and the gathering will not come.

Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.

11 Tremble, you who are at ease; shudder, you who feel secure! Strip yourselves bare and put on sackcloth around your waists.

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 Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vines.

They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

13 The land of my people will be covered with thorns and briers, indeed over all the joyful houses in the jubilant 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 For the palace will be deserted, the bustling city abandoned; the hill and the watchtower will become wastelands forever—a delight for wild donkeys and a pasture for flocks.

Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;

15 Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, and the wilderness will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will be considered as a forest.

Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.

16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness will reside in the fertile field.

Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.

17 The work of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.

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

18 My people will live in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in undisturbed resting places.

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

19 But hail will level the forest, and the city will be laid low in humiliation.

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

20 Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, letting the oxen and the donkey roam freely.

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