1 ARST Listen to this! Some day there will be a righteous king, and his officials will help him to rule justly. BSB BSB: Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice.
2 ARST Each of them will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm. They will be like streams of water in the desert, like the shade under a huge rock in a very hot and dry land. BSB BSB: Each 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.
3 ARST When that happens, those leaders will enable people who have not understood God’ s truth to understand it, and they will enable those who have not paid attention to God’ s truth to pay attention to it. BSB BSB: Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.
4 ARST Even those who act very hastily will have good sense, and those who cannot speak well will speak fluently and clearly. BSB BSB: The mind of the rash will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will speak clearly and fluently.
5 ARST At that time, people who are foolish will no longer be admired, and scoundrels will no longer be respected. BSB BSB: No longer will a fool be called noble, nor a scoundrel be respected.
6 ARST Foolish people say things that are foolish, and they plan to do evil things. Their behavior is disgraceful, and they say things about Yahweh that are false. They do not give food to those who are hungry, and they do not give water to those who are thirsty. BSB BSB: For a fool speaks foolishness; his mind plots iniquity. He practices ungodliness and speaks falsely about the LORD; he leaves the hungry empty and deprives the thirsty of drink.
7 ARST Scoundrels do things that are evil and that deceive people; they plan to do evil things; by telling lies in court they cause poor people to have trouble, even when what the poor people are requesting is fair. BSB BSB: The weapons of the scoundrel are destructive; he hatches plots to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.
8 ARST But honorable people plan to do honorable things, and they do those honorable things, so they succeed. BSB BSB: But a noble man makes honorable plans; he stands up for worthy causes.
9 ARST You women of Jerusalem who think that you are very secure and think that everything is going well, listen to what I say! BSB BSB: Stand up, you complacent women; listen to me. Give ear to my word, you overconfident daughters.
10 ARST After one year is ended, you who now are not worried about anything will tremble, because there will be no grapes for you to harvest and no other crops to harvest. BSB BSB: In a little more than a year you will tremble, O secure ones. For the grape harvest will fail and the fruit harvest will not arrive.
11 ARST So tremble now, you women who are not worried about anything! Take off your fancy clothes and put rough sackcloth around your waists. BSB BSB: Shudder, you ladies of leisure; tremble, you daughters of complacency. Strip yourselves bare and put sackcloth around your waists.
12 ARST You will wail because you are grieving about what will happen in your fertile fields and to your fruitful grapevines, BSB BSB: Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vines,
13 ARST because only thorns and thistles will grow in your soil. Your houses where you had joyful parties and your city where you have been happy will be gone. BSB BSB: and for the land of my people, overgrown with thorns and briers—even for every house of merriment in this city of revelry.
14 ARST The king’ s palace will be empty; there will be no people in the city that now is very noisy. Wild donkeys will walk around and flocks of sheep will eat grass in the empty forts and watchtowers. BSB BSB: For the palace will be forsaken, the busy city abandoned. The hill and the watchtower will become caves forever—the delight of wild donkeys and a pasture for flocks—
15 ARST It will be like that until God pours his Spirit out on us from heaven. When that happens, the deserts will become fertile fields, and abundant crops will grow in those fertile fields. BSB BSB: until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high. Then the desert will be an orchard, and the orchard will seem like a forest.
16 ARST People will act justly in those desert areas, and people will act righteously in those fertile fields. BSB BSB: Then justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the fertile field.
17 ARST The result of their acting righteously will be that there will be peace, the land will be tranquil, and people will be secure forever. BSB BSB: The work of righteousness will be peace; the service of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever.
18 ARST My people will live in their homes peacefully, and safely, and calmly, in places of rest. BSB BSB: Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place, in safe and secure places of rest.
19 ARST Even if a severe hailstorm knocks down the trees in the forest, and all the buildings in the city are blown down, BSB BSB: But hail will level the forest, and the city will sink to the depths.
20 ARST Yahweh will greatly bless you; you will plant seeds in fields alongside the streams and there will be abundant crops. Your donkeys and cattle will easily find grass to eat when you send them out into pasture. BSB BSB: Blessed are those who sow beside abundant waters, who let the ox and donkey range freely.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.