הֵ֥ן לְצֶ֖דֶק יִמְלׇךְ־מֶ֑לֶךְ וּלְשָׂרִ֖ים לְמִשְׁפָּ֥ט יָשֹֽׂרוּ׃ Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness,
And ministers shall govern with justice;
וְהָיָה־אִ֥ישׁ כְּמַחֲבֵא־ר֖וּחַ וְסֵ֣תֶר זָ֑רֶם כְּפַלְגֵי־מַ֣יִם בְּצָי֔וֹן כְּצֵ֥ל סֶלַע־כָּבֵ֖ד בְּאֶ֥רֶץ עֲיֵפָֽה׃ Every one of them shall be
Like a refuge from gales,
A shelter from rainstorms—
Or like brooks of water in a desert,
Like the shade of a massive rock
In a languishing land.
וְלֹ֥א תִשְׁעֶ֖ינָה עֵינֵ֣י רֹאִ֑ים וְאׇזְנֵ֥י שֹׁמְעִ֖ים תִּקְשַֽׁבְנָה׃ Then the eyes of those who have sight shall not be sealed,
And the ears of those who have hearing shall listen;
וּלְבַ֥ב נִמְהָרִ֖ים יָבִ֣ין לָדָ֑עַת וּלְשׁ֣וֹן עִלְּגִ֔ים תְּמַהֵ֖ר לְדַבֵּ֥ר צָחֽוֹת׃ And the minds of the thoughtless shall attend and note,
And the tongues of mumblers shall speak with fluent eloquence.
לֹא־יִקָּרֵ֥א ע֛וֹד לְנָבָ֖ל נָדִ֑יב וּלְכִילַ֕י לֹ֥א יֵאָמֵ֖ר שֽׁוֹעַ׃ No more shall a villain be called noble,
Nor shall “honorable” be said of a knave.
כִּ֤י נָבָל֙ נְבָלָ֣ה יְדַבֵּ֔ר וְלִבּ֖וֹ יַעֲשֶׂה־אָ֑וֶן לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת חֹ֗נֶף וּלְדַבֵּ֤ר אֶל־יְהֹוָה֙ תּוֹעָ֔ה לְהָרִיק֙ נֶ֣פֶשׁ רָעֵ֔ב וּמַשְׁקֶ֥ה צָמֵ֖א יַחְסִֽיר׃ For the villains speak villainy
And plot treachery;
To act impiously
And to preach disloyalty against GOD;
To leave the hungry unsatisfied
And deprive the thirsty of drink.
וְכֵלַ֖י כֵּלָ֣יו רָעִ֑ים ה֚וּא זִמּ֣וֹת יָעָ֔ץ לְחַבֵּ֤ל (ענוים) [עֲנִיִּים֙] בְּאִמְרֵי־שֶׁ֔קֶר וּבְדַבֵּ֥ר אֶבְי֖וֹן מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ As for the knaves, their tools are knavish.
They forge plots
To destroy the poor with falsehoods
And the needy when they plead their cause.
וְנָדִ֖יב נְדִיב֣וֹת יָעָ֑ץ וְה֖וּא עַל־נְדִיב֥וֹת יָקֽוּם׃ {ס} But the noble have noble intentions
And are constant in noble acts.
נָשִׁים֙ שַׁאֲנַנּ֔וֹת קֹ֖מְנָה שְׁמַ֣עְנָה קוֹלִ֑י בָּנוֹת֙ בֹּֽטְח֔וֹת הַאְזֵ֖נָּה אִמְרָתִֽי׃ You carefree women,
Attend, hear my words!
You confident ladies,
Give ear to my speech!
יָמִים֙ עַל־שָׁנָ֔ה תִּרְגַּ֖זְנָה בֹּטְח֑וֹת כִּ֚י כָּלָ֣ה בָצִ֔יר אֹ֖סֶף בְּלִ֥י יָבֽוֹא׃ In little more than a year,aIn little more than a year Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
You shall be troubled, O confident ones,
When the vintage is over
And no ingathering takes place.
חִרְדוּ֙ שַֽׁאֲנַנּ֔וֹת רְגָ֖זָה בֹּטְח֑וֹת פְּשֹׁ֣טָֽה וְעֹ֔רָה וַחֲג֖וֹרָה עַל־חֲלָצָֽיִם׃ Tremble, you carefree ones!
Quake, O confident ones!
Strip yourselves naked,
Put the cloth about your loins!
עַל־שָׁדַ֖יִם סֹפְדִ֑ים עַל־שְׂדֵי־חֶ֕מֶד עַל־גֶּ֖פֶן פֹּרִיָּֽה׃ Lament upon the breasts,bupon the breasts Emendation yields “for the fields.”
For the pleasant fields,
For the spreading grapevines,
עַ֚ל אַדְמַ֣ת עַמִּ֔י ק֥וֹץ שָׁמִ֖יר תַּעֲלֶ֑ה כִּ֚י עַל־כׇּל־בָּתֵּ֣י מָשׂ֔וֹשׂ קִרְיָ֖ה עַלִּיזָֽה׃ For my people’s soil—
It shall be overgrown with briers and thistles—
Aye, and for all the houses of delight,
For the city of mirth.
כִּֽי־אַרְמ֣וֹן נֻטָּ֔שׁ הֲמ֥וֹן עִ֖יר עֻזָּ֑ב עֹ֣פֶל וָבַ֜חַן הָיָ֨ה בְעַ֤ד מְעָרוֹת֙ עַד־עוֹלָ֔ם מְשׂ֥וֹשׂ פְּרָאִ֖ים מִרְעֵ֥ה עֲדָרִֽים׃ For the castle shall be abandoned,
The noisy city forsaken;
Citadel and tower shall become
Bare placescBare places Meaning of Heb. uncertain; emendation yields “Brushland, desert.” forever,
A stamping ground for wild asses,
A pasture for flocksdflocks Emendation yields “onagers”; cf. Job 39.5.—
עַד־יֵ֨עָרֶ֥ה עָלֵ֛ינוּ ר֖וּחַ מִמָּר֑וֹם וְהָיָ֤ה מִדְבָּר֙ לַכַּרְמֶ֔ל (וכרמל) [וְהַכַּרְמֶ֖ל] לַיַּ֥עַר יֵחָשֵֽׁב׃ Till a spirit from on high is poured out on us,
And wilderness is transformed into farmland,
While farmland rates as mere brush.efarmland rates as mere brush I.e., the transformed wilderness will surpass in fertility what is now used as farmland.
וְשָׁכַ֥ן בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה בַּכַּרְמֶ֥ל תֵּשֵֽׁב׃ Then justice shall abide in the wilderness
And righteousness shall dwell on the farmland.
וְהָיָ֛ה מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה הַצְּדָקָ֖ה שָׁל֑וֹם וַֽעֲבֹדַת֙ הַצְּדָקָ֔ה הַשְׁקֵ֥ט וָבֶ֖טַח עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ For the work of righteousness shall be peace,
And the effect of righteousness, calm and confidence forever.
וְיָשַׁ֥ב עַמִּ֖י בִּנְוֵ֣ה שָׁל֑וֹם וּֽבְמִשְׁכְּנוֹת֙ מִבְטַחִ֔ים וּבִמְנוּחֹ֖ת שַׁאֲנַנּֽוֹת׃ Then my people shall dwell in peaceful homes,
In secure dwellings,
In untroubled places of rest.
וּבָרַ֖ד בְּרֶ֣דֶת הַיָּ֑עַר וּבַשִּׁפְלָ֖ה תִּשְׁפַּ֥ל הָעִֽיר׃ fMeaning of verse uncertain. And the brush shall sink and vanish,
Even as the city is laid low.
אַשְׁרֵיכֶ֕ם זֹרְעֵ֖י עַל־כׇּל־מָ֑יִם מְשַׁלְּחֵ֥י רֶגֶל־הַשּׁ֖וֹר וְהַחֲמֽוֹר׃ {ס} Happy shall you be who sow by all waters,
Who send out cattle and donkeys to pasture.gsend out cattle and donkeys to pasture Lit. “let loose the feet of cattle and donkeys”; cf. 7.25 end.