The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 There is coming a king who will reign justly and princes who will rule uprightly.
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See, a king will be ruling in righteousness, and chiefs will give right decisions.
2 A man will be like a refuge from the wind, like protection from a storm, like streams of water on arid ground, like a rock cliff shading a weary land.
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And a man will be as a safe place from the wind, and a cover from the storm; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shade of a great rock in a waste land.
3 The eyes of those seeing will not be closed, the ears of those hearing will pay close attention.
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And the eyes of those who see will not be shut, and those who have hearing will give ear to the word.
4 The minds of the impetuous will learn to weigh carefully, the tongues of the stutterers will speak readily and clearly.
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The man of sudden impulses will become wise in heart, and he whose tongue is slow will get the power of talking clearly.
5 The mean person will no longer be called generous, or the miserly said to be noble;
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The foolish man will no longer be named noble, and they will not say of the false man that he is a man of honour.
6 for the mean person will speak meanness, his heart planning evil, so that he can act godlessly, spreading error concerning ADONAI, as he lets the hungry go on starving and deprives the thirsty of drink.
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For the foolish man will say foolish things, having evil thoughts in his heart, working what is unclean, and talking falsely about the Lord, to keep food from him who is in need of it, and water from him whose soul is desiring it.
7 The mean person's means are mean - he devises wicked devices to ruin the poor and needy with lies, even when their cause is just.
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The designs of the false are evil, purposing the destruction of the poor man by false words, even when he is in the right.
8 But the generous person devises generous things, and his generosity will keep him standing.
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But the noble-hearted man has noble purposes, and by these he will be guided.
9 You women who are so complacent, listen to me! Overconfident women, pay attention to my words!
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Give ear to my voice, you women who are living in comfort; give attention to my words, you daughters who have no fear of danger.
10 In a year and a few days more, you overconfident women will shudder, because the vintage will fail, the harvest will not come.
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In not much more than a year, you, who are not looking for evil, will be troubled: for the produce of the vine-gardens will be cut off, and there will be no getting in of the grapes.
11 Tremble, you complacent women! Shudder, you overconfident women! Strip bare, wear sackcloth to cover yourselves.
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Be shaking with fear, you women who are living in comfort; be troubled, you who have no fear of danger: take off your robes and put on clothing of grief.
12 Beat your breasts in mourning for the pleasant fields and fruitful vines,
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Have sorrow for the fields, the pleasing fields, the fertile vine;
13 for the land of my people, producing thorns and briars, for all the happy homes in the joyful city.
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And for the land of my people, where thorns will come up; even for all the houses of joy in the glad town.
14 For the palace will be abandoned, the crowded city deserted, 'Ofel and fortress wastelands forever, a delight for wild donkeys and a pasture for flocks
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For the fair houses will have no man living in them; the town which was full of noise will become a waste; the hill and the watchtower will be unpeopled for ever, a joy for the asses of the woods, a place of food for the flocks;
15 till the Spirit is poured out on us from above, and the desert becomes a fertile field, with the fertile field regarded as a forest.
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Till the spirit comes on us from on high, and the waste land becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field is changed into a wood.
16 Then justice will dwell in the desert, and righteousness abide in the fertile field.
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Then in the waste land there will be an upright rule, and righteousness will have its place in the fertile field.
17 The effect of righteousness will be peace; the result of righteousness, quiet trust forever.
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And the work of righteousness will be peace; and the effect of an upright rule will be to take away fear for ever.
18 My people will live in a peaceful place, in secure neighborhoods and tranquil dwellings.
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And my people will be living in peace, in houses where there is no fear, and in quiet resting-places.
19 Just as the forest will surely come down, the city will surely be laid low.
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But the tall trees will come down with a great fall, and the town will be low in a low place.
20 Happy are you who sow by all streams, letting oxen and donkeys roam freely.
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Happy are you who are planting seed by all the waters, and sending out the ox and the ass.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.