The Kingdom Of Righteousness

1 Behold, a (A)king will reign righteouslyAnd princes will rule justly.

1 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.

1 Indeed, a king will reign righteously,and rulers will rule justly.(A)

1 "Look, a king will reign in righteousness, and rulers will rule with justice.

1 Behold, a (a)King will reign in righteousness,And princes will rule with justice.

2 Each will be like a (B)refuge from the windAnd a shelter from the storm,Like (a)(C)streams of water in a dry country,Like the (D)shade of a (b)huge rock in (c)a parched land.

2 And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

2 Each will be like a shelter from the wind,a refuge from the rain,(B)like streams of water(C) in a dry landand the shade of a massive rock in an arid land.

2 Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a hiding place from storms, like streams of water in the desert, in the shadow of a great rock in an exhausted land.

2 Each [one of them] will be like a hiding place from the windAnd a shelter from the storm,Like streams of water in a dry land,Like the shade of a huge rock in a parched and weary land [to those who turn to them].

3 Then (E)the eyes of those who see will not be (d)blinded,And the ears of those who hear will listen.

3 And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.

3 Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed,and the ears of those who hear will listen.(D)

3 Then the eyes of those who can see won't turn away, and the ears of those who can hear will listen.

3 Then the eyes of those who see will not be blinded,And the ears of those who hear will listen attentively.

4 The (e)mind of the (F)hasty will discern the (f)truth,And the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak clearly.

4 The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.

4 The reckless mind will gain knowledge,and the stammering tongue(E) will speak clearly and fluently.

4 The hearts of reckless people will understand sound judgment, and the tongues of those who stammer will be ready to speak clearly.

4 The heart (mind) of those who act impulsively will discern the truth,And the tongue of the stammerers will hurry to speak clearly.

5 No longer will the (G)fool be called noble,Or the rogue be spoken of as generous.

5 The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

5 A fool will no longer be called a noble,(F)nor a scoundrel said to be important.

5 People will no longer call a fool noble, nor will a bad person be declared honorable.

5 The fool (the good-for-nothing) will no longer be called noble,Nor the rogue said to be generous.

6 For a fool speaks nonsense,And his heart (g)(H)inclines toward wickedness:To practice (I)ungodliness and to speak error against the Lord,To (h)(J)keep the hungry person unsatisfiedAnd (i)to withhold drink from the thirsty.

6 For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

6 For a fool speaks foolishnessand his mind plots iniquity.He lives in a godless wayand speaks falsely about the Lord.He leaves the hungry emptyand deprives the thirsty of drink.(G)

6 For fools utter contempt, and their minds plot wrong things: practicing ungodliness, spreading lies about the LORD, leaving the pangs of hungry people unsatisfied, and depriving thirsty people of drink.

6 For the fool speaks nonsense,And his heart (mind) plans wickedness:To practice ungodliness and to speak error concerning the Lord,To keep the craving of the hungry unsatisfiedAnd to deprive the thirsty of drink.

7 As for a rogue, his weapons are evil;He (K)devises wicked schemesTo (L)destroy the afflicted with (j)slander,(M)Even though the needy one speaks (k)what is right.

7 The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.

7 The scoundrel’s weapons are destructive;he hatches plots to destroy the needy with lies,even when the poor says what is right.

7 Furthermore, the crimes of bad people are evil; and they devise wicked schemes, destroying the poor with lying words, even when needy people plead a just cause.

7 As for the rogue, his weapons are evil;He conceives wicked plansTo ruin the poor with lies,Even when the plea of the needy one is just and right.

8 But (N)the noble man devises noble plans;And by noble plans he stands.

8 But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.

8 But a noble person plans noble things;he stands up for noble causes.

8 But those who are decent plan noble things, and by noble deeds they stand."

8 But the noble man conceives noble and magnificent things;And he stands by what is noble and magnificent.

Against The Carefree Women

9 Rise up, you (O)women who are at ease,And hear my voice;(P)Give ear to my word,You complacent daughters.

9 Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.

9 Stand up, you complacent women;(H)listen to me.Pay attention to what I say,you overconfident daughters.

9 "As for you ladies of leisure Get up and listen to my voice! You daughters who feel so complacent hear what I have to say!

9 Rise up, you women who are carefree,And hear my voice,You confident and unsuspecting daughters!Listen to what I am saying.

10 Within a year and a few daysYou will be troubled, O complacent daughters;(Q)For the vintage is ended,And the fruit gathering will not come.

10 Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.

10 In a little more than a yearyou overconfident ones will shudder,for the vintage will failand the harvest will not come.

10 In little more than a year, you complacent women will shudder; for the grape harvest will fail, and the fruit harvest will not come.

10 In little more than a yearYou will tremble [with anxiety], you unsuspecting and complacent women;For the vintage has ended,And the harvest will not come.

11 Tremble, you women who are at ease;(R)Be troubled, you complacent daughters;(S)Strip, undress and put sackcloth on your waist,

11 Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.

11 Shudder, you complacent ones;tremble, you overconfident ones!Strip yourselves bare(I)and put sackcloth around your waists.

11 So tremble, you ladies of leisure! Shudder, you daughters who feel so complacent! Strip down and make yourselves naked down to the waist! Then wrap yourself in sackcloth and beat your breasts.

11 Tremble, you women who are carefree;Tremble with fear, you complacent ones!Strip, undress and wear sackcloth on your waist [in grief],

12 (T)Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine,

12 They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

12 Beat your breasts in mourning(J)for the delightful fields and the fruitful vines,(K)

12 For people will be beating their breasts in mourning over the pleasant fields, over the fruitful vines,

12 Beat your breasts [in mourning] for the beautiful fields, for the fruitful vine,

13 (U)For the land of my people in which thorns and briars shall come up;Yea, for all the joyful houses and for the (V)jubilant city.

13 Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city:

13 for the ground of my peoplegrowing thorns and briers,(L)indeed, for every joyous house in the joyful city.

13 and over the land of my people overgrown with thorns and briers yes, over all the houses of merriment and over this city of revelry.

13 For the land of my people growing over with thorns and briars—Yes, [mourn] for all the houses of joy in the joyous city.

14 Because (W)the palace has been abandoned, the (l)populated (X)city forsaken.(m)Hill and watch-tower have become (Y)caves forever,A delight for (Z)wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks;

14 Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;

14 For the palace will be forsaken,the busy city abandoned.The hill and the watchtower will becomebarren places forever,the joy of wild donkeys,and a pasture for flocks,

14 "For the palace will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; the citadel and watchtower will become barren wastes forever, the delight of wild donkeys, and a pasture for flocks,

14 For the palace has been abandoned, the populated city deserted;The hill [of the city] and the watchtower have become caves [for wild animals] forever,A delight for wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks,

Things Will Get Better

15 Until the (AA)Spirit is poured out upon us from on high,And the wilderness becomes a (AB)fertile field,And the fertile field is considered as a forest.

15 Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.

15 until the Spirit from heaven is poured out on us.(M)Then the desert will become an orchard,and the orchard will seem like a forest.(N)

15 until the Spirit from on high is poured upon us, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest."

15 Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high,And the wilderness becomes a fertile field,And the fertile field is valued as a forest.(A)

16 Then (AC)justice will dwell in the wildernessAnd righteousness will abide in the fertile field.

16 Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.

16 Then justice will inhabit the wilderness,and righteousness will dwell in the orchard.

16 "Then justice will live in the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the fertile field.

16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,And righteousness will live in the fertile field.

17 And the (AD)work of righteousness will be peace,And the service of righteousness, (AE)quietness and (n)confidence forever.

17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

17 The result of righteousness will be peace;(O)the effect of righteousnesswill be quiet confidence forever.

17 The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.

17 And the effect of righteousness will be peace,And the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever.

18 Then my people will live in a (AF)peaceful habitation,And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed (AG)resting places;

18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;

18 Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place,in safe and secure dwellings.

18 My people will live in peaceful dwellings, in secure homes and in undisturbed resting places.

18 Then my people will live in a peaceful surrounding,And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places.

19 And it will (AH)hail when the (AI)forest comes down,And (AJ)the city will be utterly laid low.

19 When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.

19 But hail will level the forest,(a)(P)and the city will sink into the depths.(Q)

19 But it will hail when the forest comes down, and the wood will be leveled completely.

19 But it will hail, when the forest comes down,And the [capital] city will fall in utter humiliation.

20 How (AK)blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters,Who (o)let out freely the ox and the donkey.

20 Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.

20 Those who sow seed are happybeside abundant waters;(R)they let ox and donkey range freely.(S)

20 How happy you will be, sowing your seed beside every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range freely!"

20 Blessed (happy, fortunate) are you who cast your seed upon all waters [(b)when the river overflows its banks and irrigates the land],You who allow the ox and the donkey to roam freely.

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