1 Watch! A king is coming who does what's right when he rules, and those who rule under him will act fairly. 2 Each one will be like a shelter from the wind, like a protection from the storm, like rivers of water in the dry desert, like the shade of a large rock in a sun-baked*“Sun-baked”: literally, “faint, weary”—in other words an oppressively hot climate that causes fatigue. land.

3 Then everyone with eyes will be able to truly see, and everyone who has ears will be able to truly hear. 4 Those whose minds are impulsive will be sensible and think things through; those who stammer will speak clearly. 5 No longer will fools be called respectable or crooks highly-regarded. 6 For fools only talk foolishness, thinking evil things. They act in opposition to the Lord, misrepresenting him in what they say. They refuse to give food to the hungry and deny water to the thirsty. 7 Cheats use evil methods; they devise schemes to ruin the poor with lies, even when right is on the side of the poor. 8 But noble people act unselfishly; they keep to their principles of generosity.

9 Get up, you women who are lying around relaxing, and pay attention to what I'm saying! You ladies without a care in the world, listen to me! 10 In just over a year, you who think yourselves so safe will tremble with fear. The grape harvest is going to fail and there'll be no harvest. 11 Shudder, you women relaxing! Tremble, you ladies who feel so safe! Strip off your clothes, bare yourselves and put on sackcloth around your waists. 12 Beat your breasts in sadness over the loss of your lovely fields, your productive vines, 13 over the loss of the land of my people. Mourn because it's now overgrown with thorns and brambles, mourn because of the loss of all the happy homes and joyful towns. 14 The palace is abandoned, the crowded town is deserted. Castles and watch towers will forever become homes loved by wild donkeys, and places where sheep graze, 15 until the Spirit is poured out on us from above, and the desert becomes like a good field full of crops, and a good field will grow like a forest.

16 Then people living in the desert will practice justice, and those living among the fields will do what is right. 17 Living right will bring peace and security that endures. 18 My people will live in peace, safe and secure in their homes. 19 Even though hail can destroy a forest, and a town can be demolished, 20 you will be happy as you sow your crops beside the waters and let your cattle and donkeys roam freely.