Study Desk

Behold, a king will reign righteously, And officials will rule justly.

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

Each will be like a refuge from the wind And a shelter from the storm, Like streams of water in a dry country, Like the shade of a huge rock in an exhausted land.

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.

Then the eyes of those who see will not be blinded, And the ears of those who hear will listen.

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

The mind of the rash will discern the truth, And the tongue of the stammerers will hurry to speak clearly.

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

No longer will the fool be called noble, Or the rogue be spoken of as generous.

The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

For a fool speaks nonsense, And his heart inclines toward wickedness: To practice ungodliness and to speak error against the LORD, To keep the hungry person unsatisfied And to withhold drink from the thirsty.

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.

As for a rogue, his weapons are evil; He devises wicked schemes To destroy the poor with slander, Even though the needy one speaks what is right.

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.

But the noble person devises noble plans; And by noble plans he stands.

But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.

Rise up, you women who are at ease, And hear my voice; Listen to my word, You complacent daughters.

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

Within a year and a few days You will be troubled, you complacent daughters; For the vintage is ended, And the fruit gathering will not come.

Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.

Tremble, you women who are at ease; Be troubled, you complacent daughters; Strip, undress, and put sackcloth on your waist,

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

Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine,

They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

For the land of my people in which thorns and briars will come up; Indeed, for all the joyful houses and for the jubilant city.

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

For the palace has been neglected, the populated city abandoned. Hill and watch-tower have become caves forever, A delight for wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks,

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;

Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fertile field, And the fertile field is considered as a forest.

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.

Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness will remain in the fertile field.

Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.

And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.

And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

Then my people will live in a peaceful settlement, In secure dwellings, and in undisturbed resting places;

And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;

And it will hail when the forest comes down, And the city will be utterly laid low.

When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.

How blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters, Who let the ox and the donkey out freely.

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