Isaiah 61
English Standard Version
The Year of the Lord's Favor
61 (A)The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has (B)anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;[a]
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and (C)the opening of the prison to those who are bound;[b]
2 (D)to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
(E)and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
(F)to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
(G)the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
(H)that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, (I)that he may be glorified.[c]
4 (J)They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
5 (K)Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks;
foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;
6 (L)but you shall be called the priests of the Lord;
they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;
(M)you shall eat the wealth of the nations,
and in their glory you shall boast.
7 (N)Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion;
instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;
therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;
they shall have everlasting joy.
8 (O)For I the Lord love justice;
I hate robbery and wrong;[d]
(P)I will faithfully give them their recompense,
(Q)and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their offspring shall be known among the nations,
and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge them,
that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.
10 (R)I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
(S)for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself (T)like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
(U)and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause (V)righteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 61:1 Or afflicted
- Isaiah 61:1 Or the opening [of the eyes] to those who are blind; Septuagint and recovery of sight to the blind
- Isaiah 61:3 Or that he may display his beauty
- Isaiah 61:8 Or robbery with a burnt offering
Isaiah 61
The Message
Announce Freedom to All Captives
61 1-7 The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me
because God anointed me.
He sent me to preach good news to the poor,
heal the heartbroken,
Announce freedom to all captives,
pardon all prisoners.
God sent me to announce the year of his grace—
a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies—
and to comfort all who mourn,
To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion,
give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,
Messages of joy instead of news of doom,
a praising heart instead of a languid spirit.
Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness”
planted by God to display his glory.
They’ll rebuild the old ruins,
raise a new city out of the wreckage.
They’ll start over on the ruined cities,
take the rubble left behind and make it new.
You’ll hire outsiders to herd your flocks
and foreigners to work your fields,
But you’ll have the title “Priests of God,”
honored as ministers of our God.
You’ll feast on the bounty of nations,
you’ll bask in their glory.
Because you got a double dose of trouble
and more than your share of contempt,
Your inheritance in the land will be doubled
and your joy go on forever.
8-9 “Because I, God, love fair dealing
and hate thievery and crime,
I’ll pay your wages on time and in full,
and establish my eternal covenant with you.
Your descendants will become well-known all over.
Your children in foreign countries
Will be recognized at once
as the people I have blessed.”
10-11 I will sing for joy in God,
explode in praise from deep in my soul!
He dressed me up in a suit of salvation,
he outfitted me in a robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom who puts on a tuxedo
and a bride a jeweled tiara.
For as the earth bursts with spring wildflowers,
and as a garden cascades with blossoms,
So the Master, God, brings righteousness into full bloom
and puts praise on display before the nations.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson