Isaiah 61
1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners,
The spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me, For Jehovah hath anointed me; He hath sent me to publish good tidings to the distressed, To bind up the broken-hearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn,
To proclaim the year of mercy from Jehovah, And the day of vengeance from our God; To comfort all that mourn;
3 to console the mourners in Zion— to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.
To give gladness to the mourners in Zion; To give them a beautiful crown instead of ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, So that they shall be called blessed terebinth-trees, The plantation of Jehovah for his glory.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.
They shall build up the old ruins; They shall raise up the ancient desolations; They shall repair the cities laid waste, The desolations of many generations.
5 Strangers will stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners will be your plowmen and vinedressers.
Strangers shall stand up and feed your flocks, And the sons of the alien shall be your ploughmen and vine-dressers;
6 But you will be called the priests of the LORD; they will speak of you as ministers of our God; you will feed on the wealth of nations, and you will boast in their riches.
But ye shall be named the priests of Jehovah, Men shall call you the ministers of our God. Ye shall eat the riches of the nations, And in their glory shall ye make your boast.
7 Instead of shame, My people will have a double portion, and instead of humiliation, they will rejoice in their share; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.
For your shame shall ye have a double reward; And for ignominy ye shall rejoice in your portion; Therefore in your land ye shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be your portion.
8 For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity; in My faithfulness I will give them their recompense and make an everlasting covenant with them.
For I, Jehovah, love justice, I hate rapine and iniquity, I will give them their reward with faithfulness, And an everlasting covenant will I make with them.
9 Their descendants will be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed.
Their race shall be illustrious among the nations, And their offspring among the people; All that see them shall acknowledge That they are a race which Jehovah hath blessed.
10 I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom wears a priestly headdress, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
“I will greatly rejoice in Jehovah; My soul shall exult in my God; For he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation; He hath covered me with the mantle of deliverance. As the bridegroom decketh himself with his turban, And as the bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”
11 For as the earth brings forth its growth, and as a garden enables seed to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
For as the earth putteth forth her shoots, And as a garden causeth its plants to spring forth, So shall the Lord Jehovah cause salvation to spring forth; And praise before all the nations.
