Young's Literal Translation YLT
New International Version NIV
1 Lo, for righteousness doth a king reign, As to princes, for judgment they rule.
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See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice.
2 And each hath been as a hiding-place [from] wind, And as a secret hiding-place [from] inundation, As rivulets of waters in a dry place, As a shadow of a heavy rock in a weary land.
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Each 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.
3 And not dazzled are the eyes of beholders, And the ears of hearers do attend.
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Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.
4 And the heart of those hastened Understandeth to know, And the tongue of stammerers hasteth to speak clearly.
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The fearful heart will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.
5 A fool is no more called `noble,' And to a miser it is not said, `rich;'
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No longer will the fool be called noble nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
6 For a fool speaketh folly, And his heart doth iniquity, to do profanity, And to speak concerning Jehovah error, To empty the soul of the hungry, Yea, drink of the thirsty he causeth to lack.
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For 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.
7 And the miser -- his instruments [are] evil, He hath counselled wicked devices, To corrupt the poor with lying sayings, Even when the needy speaketh justly.
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Scoundrels use wicked methods, they make up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.
8 And the noble counselled noble things, And he for noble things riseth up.
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But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand.
9 Women, easy ones, rise, hear my voice, Daughters, confident ones, give ear [to] my saying,
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You women who are so complacent, rise up and listen to me; you daughters who feel secure, hear what I have to say!
10 Days and a year ye are troubled, O confident ones, For consumed hath been harvest, The gathering cometh not.
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In little more than a year you who feel secure will tremble; the grape harvest will fail, and the harvest of fruit will not come.
11 Tremble ye women, ye easy ones, Be troubled, ye confident ones, Strip and make bare, with a girdle on the loins,
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Tremble, you complacent women; shudder, you daughters who feel secure! Strip off your fine clothes and wrap yourselves in rags.
12 For breasts they are lamenting, For fields of desire, for the fruitful vine.
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Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vines
13 Over the ground of my people thorn -- brier goeth up, Surely over all houses of joy of the exulting city,
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and 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.
14 Surely the palace hath been left, The multitude of the city forsaken, Fort and watch-tower hath been for dens unto the age, A joy of wild asses -- a pasture of herds;
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The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever, the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks,
15 Till emptied out on us is the Spirit from on high, And a wilderness hath become a fruitful field, And the fruitful field for a forest is reckoned.
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till the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest.
16 And dwelt in the wilderness hath judgment, And righteousness in the fruitful field remaineth.
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The LORD’s justice will dwell in the desert, his righteousness live in the fertile field.
17 And a work of the righteousness hath been peace, And a service of the righteousness -- Keeping quiet and confidence unto the age.
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The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.
18 And dwelt hath My people in a peaceful habitation, And in stedfast tabernacles, And in quiet resting-places.
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My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.
19 And it hath hailed in the going down of the forest, And in the valley is the city low.
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Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely,
20 Happy [are] ye sowing by all waters, Sending forth the foot of the ox and the ass!
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how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.