Isaiah 61

New International Version

The Year of the Lord’s Favor

61 The Spirit^(A) of the Sovereign Lord^(B) is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed^(C) me
    to proclaim good news^(D) to the poor.^(E)
He has sent me to bind up^(F) the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom^(G) for the captives^(H)
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,^[a]
²to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor^(I)
    and the day of vengeance^(J) of our God,
to comfort^(K) all who mourn,^(L)
³    and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown^(M) of beauty
    instead of ashes,^(N)
the oil^(O) of joy
    instead of mourning,^(P)
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting^(Q) of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.^(R)

⁴They will rebuild the ancient ruins^(S)
    and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
    that have been devastated for generations.
⁵Strangers^(T) will shepherd your flocks;
    foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
⁶And you will be called priests^(U) of the Lord,
    you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth^(V) of nations,
    and in their riches you will boast.

⁷Instead of your shame^(W)
    you will receive a double^(X) portion,
and instead of disgrace
    you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit^(Y) a double portion in your land,
    and everlasting joy^(Z) will be yours.

⁸“For I, the Lord, love justice;^(AA)
    I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
    and make an everlasting covenant^(AB) with them.
⁹Their descendants^(AC) will be known among the nations
    and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
    that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”^(AD)

¹⁰I delight greatly in the Lord;
    my soul rejoices^(AE) in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
    and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,^(AF)
as a bridegroom adorns his head^(AG) like a priest,
    and as a bride^(AH) adorns herself with her jewels.
¹¹For as the soil makes the sprout come up
    and a garden^(AI) causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness^(AJ)
    and praise spring up before all nations.

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Footnotes

Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blind

John 1:6-18

New International Version

⁶There was a man sent from God whose name was John.^(A) ⁷He came as a witness to testify^(B) concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.^(C) ⁸He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

⁹The true light^(D) that gives light to everyone^(E) was coming into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and though the world was made through him,^(F) the world did not recognize him. ¹¹He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.^(G) ¹²Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed^(H) in his name,^(I) he gave the right to become children of God^(J)— ¹³children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.^(K)

¹⁴The Word became flesh^(L) and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory,^(M) the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace^(N) and truth.^(O)

¹⁵(John testified^(P) concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”)^(Q) ¹⁶Out of his fullness^(R) we have all received grace^(S) in place of grace already given. ¹⁷For the law was given through Moses;^(T) grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.^(U) ¹⁸No one has ever seen God,^(V) but the one and only Son, who is himself God and^[a]^(W) is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.