| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice. | 1Look, a righteous king is coming! And honest princes will rule under him. |
| 2Each 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. | 2Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a parched land. |
| 3Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. | 3Then everyone who has eyes will be able to see the truth, and everyone who has ears will be able to hear it. |
| 4The mind of the rash will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will speak clearly and fluently. | 4Even the hotheads will be full of sense and understanding. Those who stammer will speak out plainly. |
| 5No longer will a fool be called noble, nor a scoundrel be respected. | 5In that day ungodly fools will not be heroes. Scoundrels will not be respected. |
| 6For 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. | 6For fools speak foolishness and make evil plans. They practice ungodliness and spread false teachings about the LORD. They deprive the hungry of food and give no water to the thirsty. |
| 7The weapons of the scoundrel are destructive; he hatches plots to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just. | 7The smooth tricks of scoundrels are evil. They plot crooked schemes. They lie to convict the poor, even when the cause of the poor is just. |
| 8But a noble man makes honorable plans; he stands up for worthy causes. | 8But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity. |
| 9Stand up, you complacent women; listen to me. Give ear to my word, you overconfident daughters. | 9Listen, you women who lie around in ease. Listen to me, you who are so smug. |
| 10In 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. | 10In a short time—just a little more than a year— you careless ones will suddenly begin to care. For your fruit crops will fail, and the harvest will never take place. |
| 11Shudder, you ladies of leisure; tremble, you daughters of complacency. Strip yourselves bare and put sackcloth around your waists. | 11Tremble, you women of ease; throw off your complacency. Strip off your pretty clothes, and put on burlap to show your grief. |
| 12Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vines, | 12Beat your breasts in sorrow for your bountiful farms and your fruitful grapevines. |
| 13and for the land of my people, overgrown with thorns and briers—even for every house of merriment in this city of revelry. | 13For your land will be overgrown with thorns and briers. Your joyful homes and happy towns will be gone. |
| 14For 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— | 14The palace and the city will be deserted, and busy towns will be empty. Wild donkeys will frolic and flocks will graze in the empty forts and watchtowers |
| 15until 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. | 15until at last the Spirit is poured out on us from heaven. Then the wilderness will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops. |
| 16Then justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the fertile field. | 16Justice will rule in the wilderness and righteousness in the fertile field. |
| 17The work of righteousness will be peace; the service of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever. | 17And this righteousness will bring peace. Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever. |
| 18Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place, in safe and secure places of rest. | 18My people will live in safety, quietly at home. They will be at rest. |
| 19But hail will level the forest, and the city will sink to the depths. | 19Even if the forest should be destroyed and the city torn down, |
| 20Blessed are those who sow beside abundant waters, who let the ox and donkey range freely. | 20the LORD will greatly bless his people. Wherever they plant seed, bountiful crops will spring up. Their cattle and donkeys will graze freely. |
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