| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1Indeed, a king will reign righteously, and rulers will rule justly. | 1"Look, a king will reign in righteousness, and rulers will rule with 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 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. |
| 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 can see won't turn away, and the ears of those who can hear will listen. |
| 4The reckless mind will gain knowledge, and the stammering tongue will speak clearly and fluently. | 4The hearts of reckless people will understand sound judgment, and the tongues of those who stammer will be ready to speak clearly. |
| 5A fool will no longer be called a noble, nor a scoundrel said to be important. | 5People will no longer call a fool noble, nor will a bad person be declared 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 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. |
| 7The scoundrel's weapons are destructive; he hatches plots to destroy the needy with lies, even when the poor says what is right. | 7Furthermore, 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. |
| 8But a noble person plans noble things; he stands up for noble causes. | 8But those who are decent plan noble things, and by noble deeds they stand." |
| 9Stand up, you complacent women; 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! |
| 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 complacent women will shudder; for the grape harvest will fail, and the fruit harvest will not come. |
| 11Shudder, you complacent ones; tremble, you overconfident ones! Strip yourselves bare and put sackcloth around your waists. | 11So 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. |
| 12Beat your breasts in mourning for the delightful fields and the fruitful vines, | 12For people will be beating their breasts in mourning over the pleasant fields, over the fruitful vines, |
| 13for the ground of my people growing thorns and briers, indeed, for every joyous house in the joyful city. | 13and over the land of my people overgrown with thorns and briers— yes, over all the houses of merriment and over this city of revelry. |
| 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, | 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, |
| 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 from on high is poured upon us, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest." |
| 16Then 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. |
| 17The result of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever. | 17The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. |
| 18Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place, in safe and secure dwellings. | 18My people will live in peaceful dwellings, in secure homes and in undisturbed resting places. |
| 19But hail will level the forest, and the city will sink into the depths. | 19But it will hail when the forest comes down, and the wood will be leveled completely. |
| 20Those who sow seed are happy beside abundant waters; they let ox and donkey range freely. | 20How happy you will be, sowing your seed beside every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range freely!" |
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