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A King Will Reign Righteously

¹ Behold, a ^(C1)king will reign righteously
And princes will rule justly.

² Each will be like a ^(C1)refuge from the wind
And a shelter from the storm,
Like ^(F1)(C2)streams of water in a dry country,
Like the ^(C1)shade of a ^(F2)huge rock in ^(F3)a weary land.

³ Then ^(C1)the eyes of those who see will not be ^(F1)blinded,
And the ears of those who hear will pay attention.

⁴ And the heart of the ^(C1)hasty will discern knowledge,
And the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak clearly.

⁵ No longer will the ^(C1)wicked fool be called noble,
Or the rogue be spoken of as generous.

⁶ For a wicked fool speaks wicked folly,
And his heart ^(C1)does wickedness:
To do ^(C2)ungodliness and to speak error against Yahweh,
In order to ^(C3)make the hungry person empty;
He even causes the thirsty to lack a drink.

⁷ As for a rogue, his weapons are evil;
He ^(C1)counsels wicked schemes
To ^(C2)wreak destruction on the afflicted with lying words,
^(C3)Even though the needy one speaks justly.

⁸ But ^(C1)the noble man counsels noble plans;
And by noble plans he rises up.

⁹ Rise up, you ^(C1)women who are at ease,
And hear my voice;
^(C2)Give ear to my word,
You complacent daughters.

¹⁰ Within a year and a few days
You will quake, O complacent daughters;
^(C1)For the grape harvest is ended,
And the fruit gathering will not come.

¹¹ Tremble, you women who are at ease;
^(C1)Quake, you complacent daughters;
^(C2)Strip, undress, and put sackcloth on your waist,

^12 (C1)Beat your breasts for the desirable fields, for the fruitful vine,

^13 (C1)For the land of my people in which thorns and briars shall come up,
Indeed, against all the joyful houses and the ^(C2)exultant city.

¹⁴ Because ^(C1)the palace has been abandoned, the ^(F1)populated ^(C2)city forsaken.
^(F2)Hill and watchtower have become ^(C3)caves forever,
A joy for ^(C4)wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks,

¹⁵ Until the ^(C1)Spirit is poured out upon us from on high,
And the wilderness becomes a ^(C2)fruitful orchard,
And the fruitful orchard is counted as a forest.

¹⁶ Then ^(C1)justice will dwell in the wilderness,
And righteousness will live in the fruitful orchard.

¹⁷ And the ^(C1)work of righteousness will be peace,
And the service of righteousness, ^(C2)quietness and security forever.

¹⁸ Then my people will live in a ^(C1)peaceful abode,
And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed ^(C2)resting places;

¹⁹ And it will ^(C1)hail when the ^(C2)forest comes down,
And ^(C3)the city will be utterly laid low.

²⁰ How ^(C1)blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters,
Who ^(F1)let out freely the ox and the donkey.