A King Will Reign Righteously
Behold, a aking will reign righteously
And princes will rule justly.
2 Each will be like a arefuge from the wind
And a shelter from the storm,
Like bstreams of water in a dry country,
Like the ashade of a huge rock in a weary land.
3 Then athe eyes of those who see will not be blinded,
And the ears of those who hear will pay attention.
4 And the heart of the ahasty will discern knowledge,
And the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak clearly.
5 No longer will the awicked fool be called noble,
Or the rogue be spoken of as generous.
6 For a wicked fool speaks wicked folly,
And his heart adoes wickedness:
To do bungodliness and to speak error against Yahweh,
In order to cmake the hungry person empty;
He even causes the thirsty to lack a drink.
7 As for a rogue, his weapons are evil;
He acounsels wicked schemes
To bwreak destruction on the afflicted with lying words,
cEven though the needy one speaks justly.
8 But athe noble man counsels noble plans;
And by noble plans he rises up.
9 Rise up, you awomen who are at ease,
And hear my voice;
bGive ear to my word,
You complacent daughters.
10 Within a year and a few days
You will quake, O complacent daughters;
aFor the grape harvest is ended,
And the fruit gathering will not come.
11 Tremble, you women who are at ease;
aQuake, you complacent daughters;
bStrip, undress, and put sackcloth on your waist,
12 aBeat your breasts for the desirable fields, for the fruitful vine,
13 aFor the land of my people in which thorns and briars shall come up,
Indeed, against all the joyful houses and the bexultant city.
14 Because athe palace has been abandoned, the populated bcity forsaken.
Hill and watchtower have become ccaves forever,
A joy for dwild donkeys, a pasture for flocks,
15 Until the aSpirit is poured out upon us from on high,
And the wilderness becomes a bfruitful orchard,
And the fruitful orchard is counted as a forest.
16 Then ajustice will dwell in the wilderness,
And righteousness will live in the fruitful orchard.
17 And the awork of righteousness will be peace,
And the service of righteousness, bquietness and security forever.
18 Then my people will live in a apeaceful abode,
And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed bresting places;
19 And it will ahail when the bforest comes down,
And cthe city will be utterly laid low.
20 How ablessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters,
Who let out freely the ox and the donkey.