1 Behold, a King shall reigne in iustice, and the princes shall rule in iudgement. 2 And that man shall bee as an hiding place from the winde, and as a refuge for the tempest: as riuers of water in a drie place, and as the shadowe of a great rocke in a weary land. 3 The eyes of the seeing shall not be shut, and the eares of them that heare, shall hearken. 4 And the heart of the foolish shall vnderstand knowledge, and the tongue of the stutters shalbe ready to speake distinctly. 5 A nigard shall no more be called liberall, nor the churle riche. 6 But the nigarde will speake of nigardnesse, and his heart will worke iniquitie, and do wickedly, and speake falsely against the Lord, to make emptie the hungrie soule, and to cause the drinke of the thirstie to faile. 7 For the weapons of the churle are wicked: hee deuiseth wicked counsels, to vndoe the poore with lying words: and to speake against the poore in iudgement. 8 But the liberall man will deuise of liberall things, and he will continue his liberalitie. 9 Rise vp, ye women that are at ease: heare my voyce, ye carelesse daughters: hearken to my wordes. 10 Yee women, that are carelesse, shall be in feare aboue a yeere in dayes: for the vintage shall faile, and the gatherings shall come no more. 11 Yee women, that are at ease, be astonied: feare, O yee carelesse women: put off the clothes: make bare, and girde sackcloth vpon the loynes. 12 Men shall lament for the teates, euen for the pleasant fieldes, and for the fruitefull vine. 13 Vpon the lande of my people shall growe thornes and briers: yea, vpon all the houses of ioye in the citie of reioysing, 14 Because the palace shalbe forsaken, and the noise of the citie shalbe left: the towre and fortresse shalbe dennes for euer, and the delite of wilde asses, and a pasture for flockes, 15 Vntill the Spirit be powred vpon vs from aboue, and the wildernes become a fruitfull fielde, and the plenteous fielde be counted as a forest. 16 And iudgement shall dwel in the desert, and iustice shall remaine in the fruitfull fielde. 17 And the worke of iustice shall bee peace, euen the worke of iustice and quietnesse, and assurance for euer. 18 And my people shall dwell in the tabernacle of peace, and in sure dwellings, and in safe resting places. 19 When it haileth, it shall fall on the forest, and the citie shall be set in the lowe place. 20 Blessed are ye that sowe vpon all waters, and driue thither the feete of the oxe and the asse.
A King with Integrity
1 Some day there will be a king who rules with integrity, and national leaders who govern with justice. 2 Each of them will be like a shelter from the wind and a place to hide from storms. They will be like streams flowing in a desert, like the shadow of a giant rock in a barren land. 3 Their eyes and ears will be open to the needs of the people. 4 They will not be impatient any longer, but they will act with understanding and will say what they mean. 5 No one will think that a fool is honorable or say that a scoundrel is honest. 6 A fool speaks foolishly and thinks up evil things to do. What he does and what he says are an insult to the Lord, and he never feeds the hungry or gives thirsty people anything to drink. 7 A stupid person is evil and does evil things; he plots to ruin the poor with lies and to keep them from getting their rights. 8 But an honorable person acts honestly and stands firm for what is right.
Judgment and Restoration
9 You women who live an easy life, free from worries, listen to what I am saying. 10 You may be satisfied now, but this time next year you will be in despair because there will be no grapes for you to gather. 11 You have been living an easy life, free from worries; but now, tremble with fear! Strip off your clothes and tie rags around your waist. 12 Beat your breasts in grief because the fertile fields and the vineyards have been destroyed, 13 and thorn bushes and briers are growing on my people's land. Weep for all the houses where people were happy and for the city that was full of life. 14 Even the palace will be abandoned and the capital city totally deserted. Homes and the forts that guarded them will be in ruins forever. Wild donkeys will roam there, and sheep will find pasture there.
15 But once more God will send us his spirit. The wasteland will become fertile, and fields will produce rich crops. 16 Everywhere in the land righteousness and justice will be done. 17 Because everyone will do what is right, there will be peace and security forever. 18 God's people will be free from worries, and their homes peaceful and safe. 19 (But hail will fall on the forests, and the city will be torn down.) 20 How happy everyone will be with plenty of water for the crops and safe pasture everywhere for the donkeys and cattle.