| Holman Christian Standard Bible | English Standard Version |
| 1Indeed, a king will reign righteously, and rulers will rule justly. | 1Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice. |
| 2Each will be like a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the rain, like streams of water in a dry land and the shade of a massive rock in an arid land. | 2Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land. |
| 3Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. | 3Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will give attention. |
| 4The reckless mind will gain knowledge, and the stammering tongue will speak clearly and fluently. | 4The heart of the hasty will understand and know, and the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak distinctly. |
| 5A fool will no longer be called a noble, nor a scoundrel said to be important. | 5The fool will no more be called noble, nor the scoundrel said to be honorable. |
| 6For 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. | 6For the fool speaks folly, and his heart is busy with iniquity, to practice ungodliness, to utter error concerning the LORD, to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied, and to deprive the thirsty of drink. |
| 7The scoundrel's weapons are destructive; he hatches plots to destroy the needy with lies, even when the poor says what is right. | 7As for the scoundrel—his devices are evil; he plans wicked schemes to ruin the poor with lying words, even when the plea of the needy is right. |
| 8But a noble person plans noble things; he stands up for noble causes. | 8But he who is noble plans noble things, and on noble things he stands. |
| 9Stand up, you complacent women; listen to me. Pay attention to what I say, you overconfident daughters. | 9Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice; you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech. |
| 10In a little more than a year you overconfident ones will shudder, for the vintage will fail and the harvest will not come. | 10In little more than a year you will shudder, you complacent women; for the grape harvest fails, the fruit harvest will not come. |
| 11Shudder, you complacent ones; tremble, you overconfident ones! Strip yourselves bare and put sackcloth around your waists. | 11Tremble, you women who are at ease, shudder, you complacent ones; strip, and make yourselves bare, and tie sackcloth around your waist. |
| 12Beat your breasts in mourning for the delightful fields and the fruitful vines, | 12Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine, |
| 13for the ground of my people growing thorns and briers, indeed, for every joyous house in the joyful city. | 13for the soil of my people growing up in thorns and briers, yes, for all the joyous houses in the exultant city. |
| 14For 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, | 14For the palace is forsaken, the populous city deserted; the hill and the watchtower will become dens forever, a joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks; |
| 15until the Spirit from heaven is poured out on us. Then the desert will become an orchard, and the orchard will seem like a forest. | 15until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest. |
| 16Then justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the orchard. | 16Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. |
| 17The result of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever. | 17And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. |
| 18Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place, in safe and secure dwellings. | 18My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. |
| 19But hail will level the forest, and the city will sink into the depths. | 19And it will hail when the forest falls down, and the city will be utterly laid low. |
| 20Those who sow seed are happy beside abundant waters; they let ox and donkey range freely. | 20Happy are you who sow beside all waters, who let the feet of the ox and the donkey range free. |
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