| New King James Version | New International Version |
| 1Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, And princes will rule with justice. | 1See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice. |
| 2A man will be as a hiding place from the wind, And a cover from the tempest, As rivers of water in a dry place, As the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. | 2Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land. |
| 3The eyes of those who see will not be dim, And the ears of those who hear will listen. | 3Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. |
| 4Also the heart of the rash will understand knowledge, And the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly. | 4The fearful heart will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear. |
| 5The foolish person will no longer be called generous, Nor the miser said to be bountiful; | 5No longer will the fool be called noble nor the scoundrel be highly respected. |
| 6For the foolish person will speak foolishness, And his heart will work iniquity: To practice ungodliness, To utter error against the LORD, To keep the hungry unsatisfied, And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. | 6For fools speak folly, their hearts are bent on evil: They practice ungodliness and spread error concerning the LORD; the hungry they leave empty and from the thirsty they withhold water. |
| 7Also the schemes of the schemer are evil; He devises wicked plans To destroy the poor with lying words, Even when the needy speaks justice. | 7Scoundrels use wicked methods, they make up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just. |
| 8But a generous man devises generous things, And by generosity he shall stand. | 8But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand. |
| 9Rise up, you women who are at ease, Hear my voice; You complacent daughters, Give ear to my speech. | 9You women who are so complacent, rise up and listen to me; you daughters who feel secure, hear what I have to say! |
| 10In a year and some days You will be troubled, you complacent women; For the vintage will fail, The gathering will not come. | 10In little more than a year you who feel secure will tremble; the grape harvest will fail, and the harvest of fruit will not come. |
| 11Tremble, you women who are at ease; Be troubled, you complacent ones; Strip yourselves, make yourselves bare, And gird sackcloth on your waists. | 11Tremble, you complacent women; shudder, you daughters who feel secure! Strip off your fine clothes and wrap yourselves in rags. |
| 12People shall mourn upon their breasts For the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine. | 12Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vines |
| 13On the land of my people will come up thorns and briers, Yes, on all the happy homes in the joyous city; | 13and for the land of my people, a land overgrown with thorns and briers-- yes, mourn for all houses of merriment and for this city of revelry. |
| 14Because the palaces will be forsaken, The bustling city will be deserted. The forts and towers will become lairs forever, A joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks— | 14The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever, the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks, |
| 15Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest. | 15till the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. |
| 16Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness remain in the fruitful field. | 16The LORD's justice will dwell in the desert, his righteousness live in the fertile field. |
| 17The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. | 17The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. |
| 18My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places, | 18My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. |
| 19Though hail comes down on the forest, And the city is brought low in humiliation. | 19Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, |
| 20Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, Who send out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey. | 20how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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