| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Indeed, a king will reign righteously, and rulers will rule justly. | 1Look, a king will promote fairness; officials will promote justice. |
| 2Each will be like a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the rain, like streams of water in a dry land and the shade of a massive rock in an arid land. | 2Each of them will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from a rainstorm; like streams of water in a dry region and like the shade of a large cliff in a parched land. |
| 3Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. | 3Eyes will no longer be blind and ears will be attentive. |
| 4The reckless mind will gain knowledge, and the stammering tongue will speak clearly and fluently. | 4The mind that acts rashly will possess discernment and the tongue that stutters will speak with ease and clarity. |
| 5A fool will no longer be called a noble, nor a scoundrel said to be important. | 5A fool will no longer be called honorable; a deceiver will no longer be called principled. |
| 6For a fool speaks foolishness and his mind plots iniquity. He lives in a godless way and speaks falsely about the LORD. He leaves the hungry empty and deprives the thirsty of drink. | 6For a fool speaks disgraceful things; his mind plans out sinful deeds. He commits godless deeds and says misleading things about the LORD; he gives the hungry nothing to satisfy their appetite and gives the thirsty nothing to drink. |
| 7The scoundrel's weapons are destructive; he hatches plots to destroy the needy with lies, even when the poor says what is right. | 7A deceiver's methods are evil; he dreams up evil plans to ruin the poor with lies, even when the needy are in the right. |
| 8But a noble person plans noble things; he stands up for noble causes. | 8An honorable man makes honorable plans; his honorable character gives him security. |
| 9Stand up, you complacent women; listen to me. Pay attention to what I say, you overconfident daughters. | 9You complacent women, get up and listen to me! You carefree daughters, pay attention to what I say! |
| 10In a little more than a year you overconfident ones will shudder, for the vintage will fail and the harvest will not come. | 10In a year's time you carefree ones will shake with fear, for the grape harvest will fail, and the fruit harvest will not arrive. |
| 11Shudder, you complacent ones; tremble, you overconfident ones! Strip yourselves bare and put sackcloth around your waists. | 11Tremble, you complacent ones! Shake with fear, you carefree ones! Strip off your clothes and expose yourselves--put sackcloth on your waist! |
| 12Beat your breasts in mourning for the delightful fields and the fruitful vines, | 12Mourn over the field, over the delightful fields and the fruitful vine! |
| 13for the ground of my people growing thorns and briers, indeed, for every joyous house in the joyful city. | 13Mourn over the land of my people, which is overgrown with thorns and briers, and over all the once-happy houses in the city filled with revelry. |
| 14For the palace will be forsaken, the busy city abandoned. The hill and the watchtower will become barren places forever, the joy of wild donkeys, and a pasture for flocks, | 14For the fortress is neglected; the once-crowded city is abandoned. Hill and watchtower are permanently uninhabited. Wild donkeys love to go there, and flocks graze there. |
| 15until the Spirit from heaven is poured out on us. Then the desert will become an orchard, and the orchard will seem like a forest. | 15This desolation will continue until new life is poured out on us from heaven. Then the desert will become an orchard and the orchard will be considered a forest. |
| 16Then justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the orchard. | 16Justice will settle down in the desert and fairness will live in the orchard. |
| 17The result of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever. | 17Fairness will produce peace and result in lasting security. |
| 18Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place, in safe and secure dwellings. | 18My people will live in peaceful settlements, in secure homes, and in safe, quiet places. |
| 19But hail will level the forest, and the city will sink into the depths. | 19Even if the forest is destroyed and the city is annihilated, |
| 20Those who sow seed are happy beside abundant waters; they let ox and donkey range freely. | 20you will be blessed, you who plant seed by all the banks of the streams, you who let your ox and donkey graze. |
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