The Kingdom of Righteousness

32 See, a kinga will reign in righteousness

and rulers will rule with justice.b

2 Each one will be like a shelterc from the wind

and a refuge from the storm,d

like streams of watere in the desertf

and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

3 Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,g

and the earsh of those who hear will listen.

4 The fearful heart will know and understand,i

and the stammering tonguej will be fluent and clear.

5 No longer will the foolk be called noble

nor the scoundrel be highly respected.

6 For fools speak folly,l

their hearts are bent on evil:m

They practice ungodlinessn

and spread erroro concerning the Lord;

the hungry they leave emptyp

and from the thirsty they withhold water.

7 Scoundrels use wicked methods,q

they make up evil schemesr

to destroy the poor with lies,

even when the plea of the needys is just.t

8 But the noble make noble plans,

and by noble deedsu they stand.v

The Women of Jerusalem

9 You womenw who are so complacent,

rise up and listenx to me;

you daughters who feel secure,y

hear what I have to say!

10 In little more than a yearz

you who feel secure will tremble;

the grape harvest will fail,a

and the harvest of fruit will not come.

11 Tremble,b you complacent women;

shudder, you daughters who feel secure!c

Strip off your fine clothesd

and wrap yourselves in rags.e

12 Beat your breastsf for the pleasant fields,

for the fruitful vinesg

13 and for the land of my people,

a land overgrown with thorns and briersh—

yes, mourni for all houses of merriment

and for this city of revelry.j

14 The fortressk will be abandoned,

the noisy city deserted;l

citadel and watchtowerm will become a wasteland forever,

the delight of donkeys,n a pasture for flocks,o

15 till the Spiritp is poured on us from on high,

and the desert becomes a fertile field,q

and the fertile field seems like a forest.r

16 The Lord’s justices will dwell in the desert,t

his righteousnessu live in the fertile field.

17 The fruit of that righteousnessv will be peace;w

its effect will be quietness and confidencex forever.

18 My people will live in peacefuly dwelling places,

in secure homes,z

in undisturbed places of rest.a

19 Though hailb flattens the forestc

and the city is leveledd completely,

20 how blessed you will be,

sowinge your seed by every stream,f

and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.g

Distress and Help

33 Woeh to you, destroyer,

you who have not been destroyed!

Woe to you, betrayer,

you who have not been betrayed!

When you stop destroying,

you will be destroyed;i

when you stop betraying,

you will be betrayed.j

2 Lord, be graciousk to us;

we long for you.

Be our strengthl every morning,

our salvationm in time of distress.n

3 At the uproar of your army,o the peoples flee;p

when you rise up,q the nations scatter.

4 Your plunder,r O nations, is harvesteds as by young locusts;t

like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.

5 The Lord is exalted,u for he dwells on high;v

he will fill Zion with his justicew and righteousness.x

6 He will be the sure foundation for your times,

a rich store of salvationy and wisdom and knowledge;

the fearz of the Lord is the key to this treasure.a a

7 Look, their brave menb cry aloud in the streets;

the envoysc of peace weep bitterly.

8 The highways are deserted,

no travelersd are on the roads.e

The treaty is broken,f

its witnessesb are despised,

no one is respected.

9 The land dries upg and wastes away,

Lebanonh is ashamed and withers;i

Sharonj is like the Arabah,

and Bashank and Carmell drop their leaves.

10 “Now will I arise,m” says the Lord.

“Now will I be exalted;n

now will I be lifted up.

11 You conceiveo chaff,

you give birthp to straw;

your breath is a fireq that consumes you.

12 The peoples will be burned to ashes;r

like cut thornbushess they will be set ablaze.t”

13 You who are far away,u hearv what I have done;

you who are near, acknowledge my power!

14 The sinnersw in Zion are terrified;

tremblingx grips the godless:

“Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?y

Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?”

15 Those who walk righteouslyz

and speak what is right,a

who reject gain from extortionb

and keep their hands from accepting bribes,c

who stop their ears against plots of murder

and shut their eyesd against contemplating evil—

16 they are the ones who will dwell on the heights,e

whose refugef will be the mountain fortress.g

Their bread will be supplied,

and water will not failh them.

17 Your eyes will see the kingi in his beautyj

and view a land that stretches afar.k

18 In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:l

“Where is that chief officer?

Where is the one who took the revenue?

Where is the officer in charge of the towers?m”

19 You will see those arrogant peoplen no more,

people whose speech is obscure,

whose language is strange and incomprehensible.o

20 Look on Zion,p the city of our festivals;

your eyes will see Jerusalem,

a peaceful abode,q a tentr that will not be moved;s

its stakes will never be pulled up,

nor any of its ropes broken.

21 There the Lord will be our Mightyt One.

It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.u

No galley with oars will ride them,

no mighty shipv will sail them.

22 For the Lord is our judge,w

the Lord is our lawgiver,x

the Lord is our king;y

it is he who will savez us.

23 Your rigging hangs loose:

The mast is not held secure,

the sail is not spread.

Then an abundance of spoils will be divided

and even the lamea will carry off plunder.b

24 No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”;c

and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.d