A Righteous King

¹ Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,

and princes will rule with justice.

² Each will be like a shelter from the wind,

a refuge from the storm,

like streams of water in a dry land,

like the shadow of a great^* rock in an arid land.

³ Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,^*

and the ears of those who hear will listen.

⁴ The mind of the rash will know and understand,

and the stammering tongue will speak clearly and fluently.

⁵ No longer will a fool be called noble,

nor a scoundrel be respected.

⁶ For a fool speaks foolishness;

his mind plots iniquity.

He practices ungodliness

and speaks falsely about the LORD;

he leaves the hungry empty

and deprives the thirsty of drink.

⁷ The weapons of the scoundrel are destructive;

he hatches plots to destroy the poor with lies,

even when the plea of the needy is just.

⁸ But a noble man^* makes^* honorable plans;^*

he stands up for worthy causes.^*

The Women of Jerusalem

⁹ Stand up, you complacent women;

listen to me.

Give ear to my word,

you overconfident daughters.

¹⁰ In a little more than a year you will tremble,

O secure ones.

For the grape harvest will fail

and the fruit harvest will not arrive.

¹¹ Shudder, you ladies of leisure;

tremble, you daughters of complacency.

Strip yourselves bare

and put sackcloth around your waists.

¹² Beat your breasts^* for the pleasant fields,

for the fruitful vines,

¹³ and for the land of my people,

overgrown with thorns and briers —

even for every house of merriment

in this city of revelry.

¹⁴ For the palace will be forsaken,

the busy city abandoned.

The hill and the watchtower will become caves forever —

the delight of wild donkeys

and a pasture for flocks —

¹⁵ until the Spirit is poured out

upon us from on high.

Then the desert will be an orchard,

and the orchard will seem like a forest.

¹⁶ Then justice will inhabit the wilderness,

and righteousness will dwell in the fertile field.

¹⁷ The work of righteousness will be peace;

the service of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever.

¹⁸ Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place,

in safe and secure places of rest.

¹⁹ But hail will level the forest,

and the city will sink to the depths.

²⁰ Blessed are those who sow beside abundant waters,

who let the ox and donkey range freely.