A King Will Reign in Righteousness

¹Behold, oa king will reign in righteousness,

and princes will rule in justice.

²pEach will be like a hiding place from the wind,

a shelter from the storm,

qlike streams of water in a dry place,

like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.

³rThen the eyes of those who see will not be closed,

and the ears of those who hear will give attention.

⁴The heart of the hasty will understand and know,

sand the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak distinctly.

⁵tThe fool will no more be called noble,

nor the scoundrel said to be honorable.

⁶For uthe fool speaks folly,

and his heart is busy with iniquity,

to practice ungodliness,

to utter error concerning the Lord,

vto leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied,

and to deprive the thirsty of drink.

⁷As for the scoundrel—whis devices are evil;

he plans wicked schemes

to ruin the poor with lying words,

even when the plea of the needy is right.

⁸But he who is noble plans noble things,

and on noble things he stands.

Complacent Women Warned of Disaster

⁹xRise up, you women ywho are at ease, hear my voice;

you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech.

¹⁰In little more than a year

you will shudder, you complacent women;

for the grape harvest fails,

the fruit harvest will not come.

¹¹Tremble, you women ywho are at ease,

shudder, you complacent ones;

zstrip, and make yourselves bare,

aand tie sackcloth around your waist.

¹²bBeat your breasts for the pleasant fields,

for the fruitful vine,

¹³cfor the soil of my people

growing up in thorns and briers,

dyes, for all the joyous houses

in the exultant city.

¹⁴For the palace is forsaken,

the populous city deserted;

the hill and the watchtower

will become dens forever,

ea joy of wild donkeys,

a pasture of flocks;

¹⁵until fthe Spirit is poured upon us from on high,

and gthe wilderness becomes a fruitful field,

and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.

¹⁶Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,

and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.

¹⁷hAnd the effect of righteousness will be peace,

and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust1 forever.

¹⁸My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,

in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.

¹⁹iAnd it will hail when the forest falls down,

jand the city will be utterly laid low.

²⁰kHappy are you who sow beside all waters,

who let the feet of the ox and the donkey range free.