^{1 Ref} See, a king will be ruling in righteousness, and chiefs will give right decisions.

^{2 Ref} And a man will be as a safe place from the wind, and a cover from the storm; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shade of a great rock in a waste land.

^{3 Ref} And the eyes of those who see will not be shut, and those who have hearing will give ear to the word.

^{4 Ref} The man of sudden impulses will become wise in heart, and he whose tongue is slow will get the power of talking clearly.

^{5 Ref} The foolish man will no longer be named noble, and they will not say of the false man that he is a man of honour.

^{6 Ref} For the foolish man will say foolish things, having evil thoughts in his heart, working what is unclean, and talking falsely about the Lord, to keep food from him who is in need of it, and water from him whose soul is desiring it.

^{7 Ref} The designs of the false are evil, purposing the destruction of the poor man by false words, even when he is in the right.

^{8 Ref} But the noble-hearted man has noble purposes, and by these he will be guided.

^{9 Ref} Give ear to my voice, you women who are living in comfort; give attention to my words, you daughters who have no fear of danger.

^{10 Ref} In not much more than a year, you, who are not looking for evil, will be troubled: for the produce of the vine-gardens will be cut off, and there will be no getting in of the grapes.

^{11 Ref} Be shaking with fear, you women who are living in comfort; be troubled, you who have no fear of danger: take off your robes and put on clothing of grief.

^{12 Ref} Have sorrow for the fields, the pleasing fields, the fertile vine;

^{13 Ref} And for the land of my people, where thorns will come up; even for all the houses of joy in the glad town.

^{14 Ref} For the fair houses will have no man living in them; the town which was full of noise will become a waste; the hill and the watchtower will be unpeopled for ever, a joy for the asses of the woods, a place of food for the flocks;

^{15 Ref} Till the spirit comes on us from on high, and the waste land becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field is changed into a wood.

^{16 Ref} Then in the waste land there will be an upright rule, and righteousness will have its place in the fertile field.

^{17 Ref} And the work of righteousness will be peace; and the effect of an upright rule will be to take away fear for ever.

^{18 Ref} And my people will be living in peace, in houses where there is no fear, and in quiet resting-places.

^{19 Ref} But the tall trees will come down with a great fall, and the town will be low in a low place.

^{20 Ref} Happy are you who are planting seed by all the waters, and sending out the ox and the ass.

^{1 Ref} Lo, for righteousness doth a king reign, As to princes, for judgment they rule.

^{2 Ref} And each hath been as a hiding-place `from' wind, And as a secret hiding-place `from' inundation, As rivulets of waters in a dry place, As a shadow of a heavy rock in a weary land.

^{3 Ref} And not dazzled are the eyes of beholders, And the ears of hearers do attend.

^{4 Ref} And the heart of those hastened Understandeth to know, And the tongue of stammerers hasteth to speak clearly.

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

^{6 Ref} For 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.

^{7 Ref} And the miser -- his instruments `are' evil, He hath counselled wicked devices, To corrupt the poor with lying sayings, Even when the needy speaketh justly.

^{8 Ref} And the noble counselled noble things, And he for noble things riseth up.

^{9 Ref} Women, easy ones, rise, hear my voice, Daughters, confident ones, give ear `to' my saying,

^{10 Ref} Days and a year ye are troubled, O confident ones, For consumed hath been harvest, The gathering cometh not.

^{11 Ref} Tremble ye women, ye easy ones, Be troubled, ye confident ones, Strip and make bare, with a girdle on the loins,

^{12 Ref} For breasts they are lamenting, For fields of desire, for the fruitful vine.

^{13 Ref} Over the ground of my people thorn -- brier goeth up, Surely over all houses of joy of the exulting city,

^{14 Ref} Surely 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;

^{15 Ref} Till 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.

^{16 Ref} And dwelt in the wilderness hath judgment, And righteousness in the fruitful field remaineth.

^{17 Ref} And a work of the righteousness hath been peace, And a service of the righteousness -- Keeping quiet and confidence unto the age.

^{18 Ref} And dwelt hath My people in a peaceful habitation, And in stedfast tabernacles, And in quiet resting-places.

^{19 Ref} And it hath hailed in the going down of the forest, And in the valley is the city low.

^{20 Ref} Happy `are' ye sowing by all waters, Sending forth the foot of the ox and the ass!

^{1 Ref} Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice.

^{2 Ref} 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 Ref} And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.

^{4 Ref} And the heart of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.

^{5 Ref} The fool shall be no more called noble, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

^{6 Ref} 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 Ref} 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 Ref} But the noble deviseth noble things; and in noble things shall he continue.

^{9 Ref} Rise up, ye women that are at ease, `and' hear my voice; ye careless daughters, give ear unto my speech.

^{10 Ref} For days beyond a year shall ye be troubled, ye careless women; for the vintage shall fail, the ingathering shall not come.

^{11 Ref} 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 Ref} They shall smite upon the breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

^{13 Ref} Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city.

^{14 Ref} 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 Ref} 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 Ref} Then justice shall dwell in the wilderness; and righteousness shall abide in the fruitful field.

^{17 Ref} And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence for ever.

^{18 Ref} And my people shall abide in a peaceable habitation, and in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting-places.

^{19 Ref} But it shall hail in the downfall of the forest; and the city shall be utterly laid low.

^{20 Ref} Blessed are yet that sow beside all waters, that send forth the feet of the ox and the ass.