9 Take action, you carefree women.

Listen to my voice you confident daughters.

≈ Pay attention to what I have to say.

10 In just over a year you confident women will be agitated

because the grape harvest will fail and the fruit gathering won’t happen.

11 Tremble you carefree women.

Be agitated you confident women.

Strip yourselves bare then put coarse, abrasive sackcloth around your waists.

12 Beat your breasts with grief over the pleasant fields

and over the fruitful grapevines.

13 My people’s land has thorns and thistles growing up over it—

even in all the happy homes in the cheery town,

14 because the palace will be abandoned.

≈ The busy city will be deserted.

The hill and the watchtower will forever be like caves—

a delight for the wild donkeys and a pasture for the flocks

15 until the spirit is poured down on us from up high,

and the wilderness becomes an orchard,

and the orchard is considered as a forest.[ref]

16 Then justice will live in the wilderness,

and righteousness will stay in the orchard.

17 The result of their doing what’s right will be peace,

≈ and the service of righteousness will be quietness and permanent security.

18 Then my people will live peacefully,

and in secure homes and undisturbed resting places.

19 It will hail when the forest comes down,

and the city will be completely levelled.

20 You all who sow wherever there’s water, will be blessed—

you all who untie your cow and donkey to give them free range.