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

^{2 Ref} 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} The eyes of those who see shall not be dim, and the ears of those who hear shall listen.

^{4 Ref} 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 scoundrel be highly respected.

^{6 Ref} For the fool will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice profanity, and to utter error against Yahweh, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

^{7 Ref} The instruments of the churl are evil: he devises wicked devices to destroy the humble with lying words, even when the needy speaks right.

^{8 Ref} But the noble devises noble things; and in noble things shall he continue.

^{9 Ref} Rise up, you women who are at ease, [and] hear my voice; you careless daughters, give ear to my speech.

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

^{11 Ref} Tremble, you women who are at ease; be troubled, you careless ones; strip yourselves, and make yourselves naked, and gird [sackcloth] on your loins.

^{12 Ref} They shall strike on the breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

^{13 Ref} On the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yes, on 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 forever, a joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks;

^{15 Ref} until the Spirit be poured on 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} The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.

^{18 Ref} 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 you who sow beside all waters, who send forth the feet of the ox and the donkey.

^{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.