New King James Version NKJV
New International Version NIV
1 Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, And princes will rule with justice.
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See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice.
2 A 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.
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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 The eyes of those who see will not be dim, And the ears of those who hear will listen.
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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 Also the heart of the rash will understand knowledge, And the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly.
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The fearful heart will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.
5 The foolish person will no longer be called generous, Nor the miser said to be bountiful;
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No longer will the fool be called noble nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
6 For 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.
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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 Also the schemes of the schemer are evil; He devises wicked plans To destroy the poor with lying words, Even when the needy speaks justice.
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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 But a generous man devises generous things, And by generosity he shall stand.
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But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand.
9 Rise up, you women who are at ease, Hear my voice; You complacent daughters, Give ear to my speech.
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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 In a year and some days You will be troubled, you complacent women; For the vintage will fail, The gathering will not come.
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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, you women who are at ease; Be troubled, you complacent ones; Strip yourselves, make yourselves bare, And gird sackcloth on your waists.
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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 People shall mourn upon their breasts For the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.
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Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vines
13 On the land of my people will come up thorns and briers, Yes, on all the happy homes in the joyous 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 Because 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--
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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 Until 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.
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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 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness remain in the fruitful field.
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The LORD’s justice will dwell in the desert, his righteousness live in the fertile field.
17 The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.
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The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.
18 My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, 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 Though hail comes down on the forest, And the city is brought low in humiliation.
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Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely,
20 Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, Who send out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey.
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how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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.