Isaiah 61

1 “[The] Spirit of Lord YHWH [is] on Me, Because YHWH anointed Me To proclaim tidings to the humble, He sent Me to bind the broken of heart, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And an opening of bands to [those] bound.

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,

2 To proclaim the year of the favor of YHWH, And the day of vengeance of our God, To comfort all mourners.

to declare the year of the Lord's grace and the day of our God's punishment, to comfort those who mourn.

3 To appoint to mourners in Zion, To give to them beauty instead of ashes, The oil of joy instead of mourning, A covering of praise for a faded spirit, And He is calling to them, Trees of righteousness, The planting of YHWH—to be beautified.”

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.

4 And they have built the ancient ruins, They raise up the desolations of the ancients, And they have renewed ruined cities, The desolations of generation and generation.

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.

5 And strangers have stood and fed your flock, And the sons of a foreigner [Are] your farmers and your vinedressers.

Foreigners will shepherd your flocks, and take care of your fields, and look after your vineyards.

6 And you are called priests of YHWH, It is said of you [that you are] ministers of our God, You consume the strength of nations, And you boast yourselves in their glory.

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.

7 Instead of your shame—double [honor], And [instead of] confusion, They rejoice in their portion, Therefore they take possession in their land a second time, Continuous joy [is] for them.

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.

8 “For I [am] YHWH, loving judgment, Hating plunder for a burnt-offering, And I have given their wage in truth, And I make a perpetual covenant for them.

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.

9 And their seed has been known among the nations, And their offspring in the midst of the peoples, All their beholders acknowledge them, For they [are] a seed YHWH has blessed.”

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.

10 I greatly rejoice in YHWH, My soul rejoices in my God, For He clothed me with garments of salvation, [And] covered me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom prepares ornaments, And as a bride puts on her jewels.

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.

11 For as the earth brings forth her shoots, And as a garden causes its sown things to shoot up, So Lord YHWH causes righteousness and praise To shoot up before all the nations!

Just as the earth sends up shoots, and plants grow in a garden, so the Lord makes goodness and praise grow before all nations.