Isaiah

1Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice.

2And a man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as streams of water in a dry place, as the shade of a great rock in a weary land.

3And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.

4And the heart of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.

5The fool shall be no more called noble, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

6For the fool will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise profaneness, and to utter error against Jehovah, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

7And the instruments of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the meek with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.

8But the noble deviseth noble things; and in noble things shall he continue.

9Rise up, ye women that are at ease, and hear my voice; ye careless daughters, give ear unto my speech.

10For days beyond a year shall ye be troubled, ye careless women; for the vintage shall fail, the ingathering shall not come.

11Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones; strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.

12They shall smite upon the breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

13Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city.

14For the palace shall be forsaken; the populous city shall be deserted; the hill and the watch-tower shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;

15until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest.

16Then justice shall dwell in the wilderness; and righteousness shall abide in the fruitful field.

17And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence for ever.

18And my people shall abide in a peaceable habitation, and in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting-places.

19But it shall hail in the downfall of the forest; and the city shall be utterly laid low.

20Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth the feet of the ox and the ass.

A Righteous King

1Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,and princes will rule with justice.

2Each will be like a shelter from the wind,a refuge from the storm,like streams of water in a dry land,like the shadow of a great rock in an arid land.

3Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,and the ears of those who hear will listen.

4The mind of the rash will know and understand,and the stammering tongue will speak clearly and fluently.

5No longer will a fool be called noble,nor a scoundrel be respected.

6For a fool speaks foolishness;his mind plots iniquity.He practices ungodlinessand speaks falsely about the LORD;he leaves the hungry emptyand deprives the thirsty of drink.

7The weapons of the scoundrel are destructive;he hatches plots to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.

8But a noble man makes honorable plans;he stands up for worthy causes.

The Women of Jerusalem

9Stand up, you complacent women;listen to me.Give ear to my word,you overconfident daughters.

10In a little more than a year you will tremble,O secure ones.For the grape harvest will failand the fruit harvest will not arrive.

11Shudder, you ladies of leisure;tremble, you daughters of complacency.Strip yourselves bareand put sackcloth around your waists.

12Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,for the fruitful vines,

13and for the land of my people,overgrown with thorns and briers—even for every house of merrimentin this city of revelry.

14For the palace will be forsaken,the busy city abandoned.The hilland the watchtower will become caves forever—the delight of wild donkeys and a pasture for flocks—

15until the Spirit is poured outupon us from on high. Then the desert will be an orchard,and the orchard will seem like a forest.

16Then justice will inhabit the wilderness,and righteousness will dwell in the fertile field.

17The work of righteousness will be peace;the service of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever.

18Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place,in safe and secure places of rest.

19But hail will level the forest,and the city will sink to the depths.

20Blessed are those who sow beside abundant waters,who let the ox and donkey range freely.