Bible Reading Plan

¹ Indeed, a king will reign righteously,
and rulers will rule justly.^(a)
2 Each will be like a shelter from the wind,
a refuge from the rain,^(b)
like streams of water^(c) in a dry land
and the shade of a massive rock in an arid land.
³ Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed,
and the ears of those who hear will listen.^(d)
4 The reckless mind will gain knowledge,
and the stammering tongue^(e) will speak clearly and fluently.
⁵ A fool will no longer be called a noble,^(f)
nor a scoundrel said to be important.
⁶ For a fool speaks foolishness
and his mind plots iniquity.
He lives in a godless way
and speaks falsely about the Lord .
He leaves the hungry empty
and deprives the thirsty of drink.^(g)
7 The scoundrel's weapons are destructive;
he hatches plots to destroy the needy with lies,
even when the poor says what is right.
⁸ But a noble person plans noble things;
he stands up for noble causes.

⁹ Stand up, you complacent women;^(h)
listen to me.
Pay attention to what I say,
you overconfident daughters.
¹⁰ In a little more than a year
you overconfident ones will shudder,
for the vintage will fail
and the harvest will not come.
¹¹ Shudder, you complacent ones;
tremble, you overconfident ones!
Strip yourselves bare⁽ⁱ⁾
and put sackcloth around your waists.
¹² Beat your breasts in mourning^(j)
for the delightful fields and the fruitful vines,^(k)
13 for the ground of my people
growing thorns and briers,^(l)
indeed, for every joyous house in the joyful city.
¹⁴ For the palace will be forsaken,
the busy city abandoned.
The hill and the watchtower will become
barren places forever,
the joy of wild donkeys,
and a pasture for flocks,
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)
16 Then justice will inhabit the wilderness,
and righteousness will dwell in the orchard.
¹⁷ The result of righteousness will be peace;^(o)
the effect of righteousness
will be quiet confidence forever.
¹⁸ Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place,
in safe and secure dwellings.
¹⁹ But hail will level the forest,^[a](p)
and the city will sink into the depths.^(q)
20 Those who sow seed are happy
beside abundant waters;^(r)
they let ox and donkey range freely.^(s)

¹ Woe, you destroyer never destroyed,
you traitor never betrayed!
When you have finished destroying,
you will be destroyed.
When you have finished betraying,
they will betray you.^(a)

²  Lord , be gracious to us! We wait for You.^(b)
Be our strength every morning
and our salvation in time of trouble.^(c)
3 The peoples flee at the thunderous noise;^(d)
the nations scatter when You rise in Your majesty.
⁴ Your spoil will be gathered as locusts are gathered;
people will swarm over it like an infestation of locusts.
⁵ The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high;
He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
⁶ There will be times of security for you—
a storehouse of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.
The fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure.^(e)

⁷ Listen! Their warriors cry loudly in the streets;
the messengers of peace weep bitterly.^(f)
8 The highways are deserted;
travel has ceased.
An agreement has been broken,^(g)
cities^[a] despised,
and human life disregarded.
⁹ The land mourns and withers;^(h)
Lebanon is ashamed and decayed.
Sharon is like a desert;
Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.
¹⁰ "Now I will rise up,"⁽ⁱ⁾ says the Lord .
"Now I will lift Myself up.
Now I will be exalted.
¹¹ You will conceive chaff;^(j)
you will give birth to stubble.
Your breath is fire that will consume you.
¹² The peoples will be burned to ashes,
like thorns cut down and burned in a fire.
¹³ You who are far off, hear what I have done;
you who are near,^(k) know My strength."

¹⁴ The sinners in Zion are afraid;
trembling seizes the ungodly:
"Who among us can dwell with a consuming fire?^(l)
Who among us can dwell with ever-burning flames?"
¹⁵ The one who lives righteously
and speaks rightly,^(m)
who refuses gain from extortion,
whose hand never takes a bribe,
who stops his ears from listening to murderous plots^[b]
and shuts his eyes to avoid endorsing evil^[c](n)—
¹⁶ he will dwell on the heights;
his refuge will be the rocky fortresses,
his food provided, his water assured.

¹⁷ Your eyes will see the King in His beauty;^(o)
you will see a vast land.^(p)
18 Your mind will meditate on the past terror:
"Where is the accountant?^[d]
Where is the tribute collector?^[e]
Where is the one who spied out our defenses?"^[f]
19 You will no longer see the barbarians,
a people whose speech is difficult to comprehend—
who stammer in a language that is not understood.^(q)
20 Look at Zion, the city of our festival times.
Your eyes will see Jerusalem,
a peaceful pasture,^(r) a tent that does not wander;
its tent pegs will not be pulled up
nor will any of its cords be loosened.^(s)
21 For the majestic One, our Lord , will be there,^(t)
a place of rivers and broad streams
where ships that are rowed will not go,
and majestic vessels will not pass.^(u)
22 For the Lord is our Judge,
the Lord is our lawgiver,^(v)
the Lord is our King.
He will save us.^(w)
23 Your ropes are slack;
they cannot hold the base of the mast
or spread out the flag.
Then abundant spoil will be divided,
the lame will plunder it,
²⁴ and none there will say, "I am sick."
The people who dwell there
will be forgiven^(x) their iniquity.^(y)