The Kingdom Of Righteousness
2 And each hath been as a hiding-place from wind, And as a secret hiding-place from inundation, As rivulets of waters in a dry place, As a shadow of a heavy rock in a weary 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 And not dazzled are the eyes of beholders, And the ears of hearers do attend.
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 And the heart of those hastened Understandeth to know, And the tongue of stammerers hasteth 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 (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 speaketh folly, And his heart doth iniquity, to do profanity, And to speak concerning Jehovah error, To empty the soul of the hungry, Yea, drink of the thirsty he causeth to lack.
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 And the miser -- his instruments are evil, He hath counselled wicked devices, To corrupt the poor with lying sayings, Even when the needy speaketh justly.
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 And the noble counselled noble things, And he for noble things riseth up.
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 Women, easy ones, rise, hear my voice, Daughters, confident ones, give ear to my saying,
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 Days and a year ye are troubled, O confident ones, For consumed hath been harvest, The gathering cometh not.
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 ye women, ye easy ones, Be troubled, ye confident ones, Strip and make bare, with a girdle on the loins,
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 Over the ground of my people thorn -- brier goeth up, Surely over all houses of joy of the exulting 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 (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 Surely the palace hath been left, The multitude of the city forsaken, Fort and watch-tower hath been for dens unto the age, A joy of wild asses -- a pasture of herds;
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 Till emptied out on us is the Spirit from on high, And a wilderness hath become a fruitful field, And the fruitful field for a forest is reckoned.
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 And dwelt in the wilderness hath judgment, And righteousness in the fruitful field remaineth.
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 And a work of the righteousness hath been peace, And a service of the righteousness -- Keeping quiet and confidence unto the age.
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 And dwelt hath My people in a peaceful habitation, And in stedfast tabernacles, And in quiet 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 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 Happy are ye sowing by all waters, Sending forth the foot of the ox and the ass!
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!"