Isaiah 61

1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the meek, so as to heal the contrite of heart, to preach leniency to captives and release to the confined,

The Spirit of the Lord Eternal is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to announce good tidings unto the meek: he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim to captives Liberty, and to prisoners Release;

2 and so to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vindication of our God: to console all who are mourning,

To proclaim a year of favor of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all mourners;

3 to take up the mourners of Zion and to give them a crown in place of ashes, an oil of joy in place of mourning, a cloak of praise in place of a spirit of grief. And there, they shall be called the strong ones of justice, the planting of the Lord, unto glorification.

To grant unto the mourners of Zion, —to give unto them ornament in the place of ashes, oil of gladness in the place of mourning, garments of praise in the place of a grieved spirit; that they may be called, Oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

4 And they will rebuild the deserted places of past ages, and they will raise up the ruins of antiquity, and they will repair the desolate cities, which had been dissipated for generation after generation.

And they shall build up the ancient ruins, desolate places of former times shall they raise up, and they shall renew ruined cities, the desolate places of many generations.

5 And foreigners will stand up and will pasture your flocks. And the sons of sojourners will be your farmers and the workers of your vineyards.

And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your ploughmen and your vintners.

6 But you yourselves will be called the priests of the Lord. It will be said to you, “You are the ministers of our God.” You will eat from the strength of the Gentiles, and you will pride yourself on their glory.

But ye, ye shall be called, Priests of the Lord; Ministers of our God, shall be said unto you: the wealth of nations shall ye consume, and in their glory shall ye be placed as possessors.

7 Instead of your double confusion and shame, they will praise their portion. Because of this, they will possess double in their land. Everlasting joy will be for them.

In the place of your twofold shame, —and the confusion of which they loudly complained as their portion: therefore in their land shall they possess a twofold [portion]; everlasting joy shall be granted unto them.

8 For I am the Lord, who loves judgment and who holds hatred for robbery within a burnt offering. And I will turn their work into truth, and I will forge a perpetual covenant with them.

For I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery with burnt-offering: therefore will I give them the recompense of their work in truth, and an everlasting covenant will I make with them.

9 And they will know their offspring among the nations, and their progeny in the midst of the peoples. All who see them will recognize them: that these are the offspring whom the Lord has blessed.

And among the nations shall their seed be known, and their offspring in the midst of the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed whom the Lord hath blessed.

10 I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, and my soul will exult in my God. For he has clothed me with the vestments of salvation, and he has wrapped me in the clothing of justice, like a groom arrayed with a crown, and like a bride adorned with her jewels.

I will be greatly glad in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, with the mantle of righteousness hath he enveloped me, as a bridegroom decketh himself with elegant attire, and as a bride adorneth herself with her bridal array.

11 For as the earth brings forth its seedlings and the garden produces its seeds, so will the Lord God bring forth justice and praise in the sight of all the nations.

For, as the earth bringeth forth her growth, and as a garden causeth what is sown therein to spring forth: thus will the Lord Eternal cause righteousness and praise to spring forth in the presence of all the nations.