Common English Bible CEB
New Revised Standard NRS
1 See here: A king rules to promote righteousness; rulers govern to promote justice,
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See, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice.
2 each like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from a storm, like streams of water in a wasteland, like the shade of a massive cliff in a worn-out land.
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Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a covert from the tempest, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.
3 Then the eyes of those who can see will no longer be blind, the ears of those who can hear will listen,
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Then the eyes of those who have sight will not be closed, and the ears of those who have hearing will listen.
4 the minds of the rash will know and comprehend, and the tongues of those who stammer will speak fluently and plainly.
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The minds of the rash will have good judgment, and the tongues of stammerers will speak readily and distinctly.
5 Then a fool will no longer be called honorable, nor a villain considered respectable.
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A fool will no longer be called noble, nor a villain said to be honorable.
6 Fools speak folly; their minds devise wickedness, acting irreverently, speaking falsely of the LORD, leaving the hungry empty, and depriving the thirsty of drink.
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For fools speak folly, and their minds plot 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.
7 As for the villain, his villainies are evil. He plans schemes to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speak justly.
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The villainies of villains are evil; they devise wicked devices to ruin the poor with lying words, even when the plea of the needy is right.
8 But an honorable person plans honorable things and stands up for what is honorable.
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But those who are noble plan noble things, and by noble things they stand.
9 Women of leisure, stand up! Hear my voice! Carefree daughters, listen to my word!
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Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice; you complacent daughters, listen to my speech.
10 In a little over a year, the carefree will shudder, because the grape harvest will fail; the vintage won't arrive.
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In little more than a year you will shudder, you complacent ones; for the vintage will fail, the fruit harvest will not come.
11 Tremble, all of you who are at ease; shudder, all of you who are secure! Strip yourselves, bare your skin, and tie mourning clothes around your waist,
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Tremble, you women who are at ease, shudder, you complacent ones; strip, and make yourselves bare, and put sackcloth on your loins.
12 beating your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine,
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Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine,
13 for my people's soil growing barbs and thorns, for all the joyous houses in the jubilant town.
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for the soil of my people growing up in thorns and briers; yes, for all the joyous houses in the jubilant city.
14 The palace will be deserted, the crowded city abandoned. Stronghold and watchtower will become empty fields forever, suited for the pleasure of wild donkeys, and a pasture for flocks—
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For the palace will be forsaken, the populous city deserted; the hill and the watchtower will become dens forever, the joy of wild asses, a pasture for flocks;
15 until a spirit from on high is poured out on us, and the desert turns into farmland, and the farmland is considered a forest.
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until a spirit from on high is poured out on us, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.
16 Then justice will reside in wild lands, and righteousness will abide in farmlands.
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Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.
17 The fruit of righteousness will be peace, and the outcome of righteousness, calm and security forever.
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The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.
18 Then my people will live in a peaceful dwelling, in secure homes, in carefree resting places.
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My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
19 Even if the forest falls and the humbled city is laid low,
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The forest will disappear completely, and the city will be utterly laid low.
20 those who sow beside any stream will be happy, sending out ox and donkey to graze.
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Happy will you be who sow beside every stream, who let the ox and the donkey range freely.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.