The Kingdom Of Righteousness
2 Each 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.
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 (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 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.
3 Eyes will no longer be blind and ears will be attentive.
3 And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.
3 Then (E)the eyes of those who see will not be (d)blinded,And the ears of those who hear will listen.
3 Then the eyes of those who can see won't turn away, and the ears of those who can hear will listen.
4 The mind that acts rashly will possess discernment and the tongue that stutters will speak with ease and clarity.
4 The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.
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 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.
6 For 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.
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 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 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.
7 A deceiver's methods are evil; he dreams up evil plans to ruin the poor with lies, even when the needy are in the 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 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 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.
8 An honorable man makes honorable plans; his honorable character gives him security.
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."
Against The Carefree Women
9 You complacent women, get up and listen to me! You carefree daughters, pay attention to what I say!
9 Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.
9 Rise up, you (O)women who are at ease,And hear my voice;(P)Give ear to my word,You complacent daughters.
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!
10 In a year's time you carefree ones will shake with fear, for the grape harvest will fail, and the fruit harvest will not arrive.
10 Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.
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 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.
11 Tremble, you complacent ones! Shake with fear, you carefree ones! Strip off your clothes and expose yourselves -- 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 Tremble, you women who are at ease;(R)Be troubled, you complacent daughters;(S)Strip, undress and put sackcloth on your waist,
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.
13 Mourn 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.
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 (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 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.
14 For 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.
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 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 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,
Things Will Get Better
15 This 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.
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 (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 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."
16 Justice will settle down in the desert and fairness will live in the orchard.
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.
17 Fairness will produce peace and result in lasting security.
17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
17 And the (AD)work of righteousness will be peace,And the service of righteousness, (AE)quietness and (n)confidence forever.
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.
18 My people will live in peaceful settlements, in secure homes, and in safe, quiet 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 live in a (AF)peaceful habitation,And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed (AG)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.
20 you will be blessed, you who plant seed by all the banks of the streams, you who let your ox and donkey graze.
20 Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.
20 How (AK)blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters,Who (o)let out freely the ox and the donkey.
20 How happy you will be, sowing your seed beside every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range freely!"