Isaiah 61
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to announce liberation to the captives, to set the prisoners free,
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 declare the year of the Lord's grace and the day of our God's punishment, to comfort those who mourn.
To proclaim the year of mercy from Jehovah, And the day of vengeance from our God; To comfort all that mourn;
3 The Lord will give to everyone who mourns in Zion a crown instead of ashes on their head, the oil of happiness instead of mourning, clothes of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of integrity, planted by the Lord to reveal his glory.
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 old ruins; they will restore places abandoned long ago; they will restore towns that were destroyed, places left desolate for generation after generation.
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 Foreigners will shepherd your flocks, and take care of your fields, and look after your vineyards.
Strangers shall stand up and feed your flocks, And the sons of the alien shall be your ploughmen and vine-dressers;
6 You will be called priests of the Lord, identified as ministers of our God. You will enjoy the wealth of nations and be proud that you have it.
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 you will receive a double blessing; instead of insults, you will be happy to have a double amount of land given to you, and your joy will last forever.
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 I, the Lord, love what is right. I hate robbery and injustice. I will faithfully reward my people and make an everlasting agreement 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 acknowledged among the nations, and their children among the peoples. Everyone who sees them will agree that they are people that 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 happily celebrate in the Lord! My whole being will shout praises to my God. For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation, and has wrapped around me in a robe of goodness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for the wedding, like a bride wearing 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 Just as the earth sends up shoots, and plants grow in a garden, so the Lord makes goodness and praise grow before all 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.
