King James Version KJV
Revised Standard Version RSV
1 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.
1
Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice.
2 And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert 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 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 And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.
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Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will hearken.
4 The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.
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The mind of the rash will have good judgment, and the tongue of the stammerers will speak readily and distinctly.
5 The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.
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The fool will no more be called noble, nor the knave said to be honorable.
6 For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
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For the fool speaks folly, and his mind plots 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 The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.
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The knaveries of the knave are evil; he devises wicked devices to ruin the poor with lying words, even when the plea of the needy is right.
8 But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.
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But he who is noble devises noble things, and by noble things he stands.
9 Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.
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Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice; you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech.
10 Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.
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In little more than a year you will shudder, you complacent women; for the vintage will fail, the fruit harvest will not come.
11 Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.
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Tremble, you women who are at ease, shudder, you complacent ones; strip, and make yourselves bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.
12 They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.
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Beat upon your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine,
13 Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city:
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for the soil of my people growing up in thorns and briers; yea, for all the joyous houses in the joyful city.
14 Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;
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For the palace will be forsaken, the populous city deserted; the hill and the watchtower will become dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;
15 Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.
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until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.
16 Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.
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Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.
17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
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And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust for ever.
18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;
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My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
19 When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.
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And the forest will utterly go down, and the city will be utterly laid low.
20 Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.
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Happy are you who sow beside all waters, who let the feet of the ox and the ass range free.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the 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.