A Righteous King

1Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,

and princes will rule in justice.

2And each man will be like a hiding place from the wind

and a cover from the tempest,

like streams of waters in a dry land,

like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.

3And the eyes of those seeing will no longer be closed,

and the ears of those hearing will listen;

4and the heart of those being hasty will understand to know,

and the tongue of the stammerers will hurry to speak clearly.

5A foolish one will no longer be called noble,

and a scoundrel will not be said to be honorable;

6for a foolish one speaks foolishness,

and his heart makes trouble,

to practice profanity

and to speak error against YHWH,

keeping empty the soul of the hungry,

and the thirsty he deprives of drink.

7And the scoundrel—his vessels are evil—

he counsels wicked plots to destroy the poor with deceptive words,

even when the plea of the needy is just.

8And a noble counsels noble things,

and he for noble things will stand.

The Women of Jerusalem

9Rise up O women at ease,

hear my voice;

O secure daughters,

give ear to my word.

10In days upon a year, you will tremble,

O secure ones;

for the vintage has ended;

the harvest will not come.

11Tremble, O ones at ease;

quake, O secure ones;

strip yourselves and make yourselves bare,

and gird upon your loins.

12For breasts they are lamenting over the fields of delight,

over the fruitful vine,

13over the land of my people

where thorns and briers come up;

yes, over all the houses of joy

in the jubilant city.

14For the palace will be forsaken,

the clamor of the city will be forsaken,

and the citadel† and watchtower will become as dens even to forever—

the joy of wild donkeys,

a pasture for flocks—

15until the Spirit is poured

upon us from on high

and the wilderness becomes as a fertile field

and the fertile field is considered as a forest.

16Then justice will settle down in the wilderness

and righteousness will dwell in the fertile field.

17And the work of righteousness will be peace,

and the labor of righteousness quiet and security even to forever.

18And My people will settle in an abode of peace,

and in dwelling places of security and quiet places of rest.

19And it will hail in the going down of the forest,

and the city will be brought utterly low.

20Blessed are you⁺ who are sowing beside all waters,

sending out the feet of the ox and the donkey.