Isaiah 61
1 The spirit of the Lord is on me, because I am marked out by him to give good news to the poor; he has sent me to make the broken-hearted well, to say that the prisoners will be made free, and that those in chains will see the light again;
The Spirit of the Lord God is vpon mee, therefore hath the Lord anoynted mee: hee hath sent mee to preache good tidings vnto the poore, to binde vp the broken hearted, to preach libertie to the captiues, and to them that are bound, the opening of the prison,
2 To give knowledge that the year of the Lord's good pleasure has come, and the day of punishment from our God; to give comfort to all who are sad;
To preache the acceptable yeere of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourne,
3 To give them a fair head-dress in place of dust, the oil of joy in place of the clothing of grief, praise in place of sorrow; so that they may be named trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, and so that he may have glory.
To appoint vnto them that mourne in Zion, and to giue vnto them beautie for ashes, the oyle of ioye for mourning, the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse, that they might be called trees of righteousnesse, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
4 And they will be building again the old broken walls, and will make new the old waste places, and will put up again the towns which have been waste for long generations.
And they shall builde the olde waste places, and raise vp the former desolations, and they shall repaire the cities that were desolate and waste through many generations.
5 And men from strange countries will be your herdsmen, and those who are not Israelites will be your ploughmen and vine-keepers.
And the strangers shall stande and feede your sheepe, and the sonnes of the strangers shall be your plowmen and dressers of your vines.
6 But you will be named the priests of the Lord, the servants of our God: you will have the wealth of the nations for your food, and you will be clothed with their glory.
But ye shall be named the Priestes of the Lord, and men shall say vnto you, The ministers of our God, Ye shall eate the riches of the Gentiles, and shalbe exalted with their glorie.
7 As they had twice as much grief, and marks of shame were their heritage, so in their land they will be rewarded twice over, and will have eternal joy.
For your shame you shall receiue double, and for confusion they shall reioyce in their portion: for in their lande they shall possesse the double: euerlasting ioy shall be vnto them.
8 For I, the Lord, take pleasure in upright judging; I will not put up with the violent taking away of right; and I will certainly give them their reward, and I will make an eternal agreement with them.
For I the Lord loue iudgement and hate robberie for burnt offering, and I wil direct their worke in trueth, and will make an euerlasting couenant with them.
9 And their seed will be noted among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples: it will be clear to all who see them that they are the seed to which the Lord has given his blessing.
And their seede shall be knowen among the Gentiles, and their buddes among the people. All that see them, shall know them, that they are the seede which the Lord hath blessed.
10 I will be full of joy in the Lord, my soul will be glad in my God; for he has put on me the clothing of salvation, covering me with the robe of righteousness, as the husband puts on a fair head-dress, and the bride makes herself beautiful with jewels.
I will greatly reioyce in the Lord, and my soule shall be ioyfull in my God: for he hath clothed mee with the garments of saluation, and couered me with the robe of righteousnes: hee hath decked me like a bridegrome, and as a bride tireth herselfe with her iewels.
11 For as the earth puts out buds, and as the garden gives growth to the seeds which are planted in it, so the Lord will make righteousness and praise to be flowering before all the nations.
For as the earth bringeth foorth her bud, and as the garden causeth to growe that which is sowen in it: so the Lord God will cause righteousnesse to grow and praise before all the heathen.
