¹ See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice. ² Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land. ³ Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. ⁴ The fearful heart will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear. ⁵ No longer will the fool be called noble nor the scoundrel be highly respected. ⁶ For fools speak folly, their hearts are bent on evil: They practice ungodliness and spread error concerning the Lord; the hungry they leave empty and from the thirsty they withhold water. ⁷ Scoundrels use wicked methods, they make up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just. ⁸ But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand.