- Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind and a cover from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall listen. The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly. The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the scoundrel said to be bountiful. For the vile person will speak villainy and his heart will work iniquity, to practice 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. The instruments also of the scoundrel are evil; he devises wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speak right. But the liberal devises liberal things, and by liberal things shall he stand.
- Rise up, you women that are at ease, hear my voice, you careless daughters; give ear unto my speech. Many days and years shall you be troubled, you careless women, for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come. Tremble, you women that are at ease, be troubled, you careless ones. Strip yourselves and make yourselves bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins. They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine. Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers, yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city, because the palaces shall be forsaken, the multitude of the houses shall be left desolate, the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever — a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks, until the spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness is a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is counted for a forest. Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness: quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places when it shall hail, coming down on the forest, and the city shall be low in a low place. Blessed are you that sow beside all waters, that send forth there the feet of the ox and the ass.
- Woe to you who spoil and you were not spoiled, and deal treacherously and they dealt not treacherously with you. When you shall cease to spoil, you shall be spoiled, and when you shall make an end to dealing treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with you.
- O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for you. Be their arm every morning, their salvation also in the time of trouble. At the noise of the tumult the people fled, at the lifting up of yourself the nations were scattered. And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar, as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them. The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high, he has filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of your times and strength of salvation; the fear of the Lord is his treasure. Behold, their valiant ones shall cry outside, the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly. The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceases — he has broken the covenant, he has despised the cities, he regards no man. The earth mourns and languishes, Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down, Sharon is like a wilderness, and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.
- Now will I rise, says the Lord, now will I be exalted, now will I lift up myself. You shall conceive chaff, you shall bring forth stubble; your breath, as fire, shall devour you. And the people shall be as the burnings of lime, as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire. Hear, you that are far off, what I have done; and you that are near, acknowledge my might. The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness has surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walks righteously and speaks uprightly, he that despises the gain of oppressions, that shakes his hands from holding of bribes, that stops his ears from hearing of blood, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil — he shall dwell on high. His place of defense shall be the strongholds of rocks; bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure. Your eyes shall see the king in his beauty, they shall behold the land that is very far off. Your heart shall meditate in terror. Where is the scribe? Where is the receiver? Where is he that counted the towers? You shall not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than you can perceive, of a stammering tongue that you cannot understand. Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities. Your eyes shall see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down — not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams, wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king — he will save us. Your tacklings are slack; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail. Then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey. And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick. The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.
Chapter 11