Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
v1
See, a king will rule according to righteousness, and princes will rule according to justice.
v2
And each one will be like a hiding place from the wind and a covering from the rainstorm, like streams of water in a dry region, like the shade of a large rock in a weary land.
v3
And the eyes of those who see will not gaze, ^[The same consonants with different vowels would be translated “be blinded,” which fits the context better] and the ears of those who hear will listen.
v4
And the minds ^[Literally “heart”] of the rash will understand knowledge, ^[Literally “to know”] and the tongues ^[Hebrew “tongue”] of stammerers will hasten to speak clearly.
v5
A fool will no longer be called noble, and a scoundrel will not be said to be eminent.
v6
For a fool speaks folly, and his mind ^[Literally “heart”] does iniquity: to behave wickedly, ^[Literally “do ungodliness”] and to speak error concerning Yahweh, to leave the throat of the hungry empty, and he deprives the thirsty of drink.
v7
And a scoundrel, his weapons are evil; he plans evil devices to ruin the poor with words of deception even ^[Or “and”] when the speech of the needy is right.
v8
But ^[Or “And”] the nobleman plans noble things, and he stands upon noble things.
v9
Women who are at ease, rise up; hear my voice! Carefree daughters, listen to my word!
v10
In a year ^[Literally “In days upon a year”] you will tremble, carefree ones, for the vintage will come to an end; the harvest will not come.
v11
Tremble, you who are at ease; tremble, carefree ones; strip, and strip yourself, and gird yourself on your loins, ^[Although the carefree and at ease addressees in this verse are feminine plural (“you women”), the commands are masculine singular in form]
v12
mourning over breasts, over fields of delight, over the fruitful vine,
v13
over the soil of my people.
It goes up in thorns ^[Hebrew “thorn”] and briers, ^[Hebrew “brier”] indeed over all of the houses of joy in the jubilant city.
v14
For the palace will be forsaken, the crowded city ^[Literally “crowd of the city”] deserted; the hill and the watchtower will become ^[The Hebrew text has “for the benefit of” following “become”] a cave forever, the joy of wild asses, a pasture for ^[Literally “of”] flocks.
v15
Until a spirit is poured out on us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is reckoned as the forest.
v16
Then ^[Or “And”] justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness will live in the fruitful field.
v17
And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the work of righteousness, quietness and security forever.
v18
And my people will dwell in a settlement of peace and in a dwelling place of security and in undisturbed resting places.
v19
And it hails when the forest comes down, ^[Literally “the coming down of the forest”] and the city will become low in humiliation.
v20
Happy are you who sow by all waters, who let the foot of the ox and the donkey go free.