A Reign of Righteousness
1 Behold,a king will reign in righteousness,
And princes will rule with justice.
2 A man will be as a hiding place from the wind,
# Anda cover 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 not be dim,
And the ears of those who hear will listen.
4 Also the heart of the rash willunderstand knowledge,
And the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly.
5 The foolish person will no longer be called generous,
Nor the miser saidtobebountiful;
6 For the foolish person will speak foolishness,
# And his heart will workiniquity:
To practice ungodliness,
To utter error against theLord,
To keep the hungry unsatisfied,
And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
7 Also the schemes of the schemerareevil;
He devises wicked plans
# To destroy the poor withlying words,
Even when the needy speaks justice.
8 But a generous man devises generous things,
And by generosity he shall stand.
Consequences of Complacency
9 Rise up, you womenwho are at ease,
Hear my voice;
You complacent daughters,
Give ear to my speech.
10 In a year andsomedays
You will be troubled, you complacent women;
For the vintage will fail,
The gathering will not come.
11 Tremble, youwomenwho are at ease;
Be troubled, you complacent ones;
Strip yourselves, make yourselves bare,
And girdsackclothonyourwaists.
12 People shall mourn upon their breasts
For the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.
13 On the land of my people will come up thornsandbriers,
# Yes, on all the happy homesinthe joyous city;
14 Because the palaces will be forsaken,
The bustling city will be deserted.
The forts and towers will become lairs forever,
A joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks—
15 Untilthe Spirit is poured upon us from on high,
# Andthe wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
And the fruitful field is counted as a forest.
The Peace of God’s Reign
16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,
And righteousness remain in the fruitful field.
17 The work of righteousness will be peace,
And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.
18 My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation,
# In secure dwellings, and in quietresting places,
19 Though hail comes downon the forest,
And the city is brought low in humiliation.
20 Blessedareyou who sow beside all waters,
# Who send out freely the feet ofthe ox and the donkey.