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Isaiah 61:3
New King James Version
Isaiah 61:3
New King James Version
3 To [a]console those who mourn in Zion,
(A)To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
(B)The planting of the Lord, (C)that He may be glorified.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 61:3 Lit. appoint
Isaiah 61:3
Amplified Bible
Isaiah 61:3
Amplified Bible
3
To grant to those who mourn in Zion the following:
To give them a [a]turban instead of dust [on their heads, a sign of mourning],
The oil of joy instead of mourning,
The garment [expressive] of praise instead of a disheartened spirit.
So they will be called the trees of righteousness [strong and magnificent, distinguished for integrity, justice, and right standing with God],
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 61:3 In the Hebrew there is a kind of wordplay here as “turban” (Heb pe’er) and dust (epher) have the same consonants and similar vowels.
Isaiah 61:3
New International Version
Isaiah 61:3
New International Version
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown(A) of beauty
instead of ashes,(B)
the oil(C) of joy
instead of mourning,(D)
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting(E) of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.(F)
Isaiah 61:3-7
The Message
Isaiah 61:3-7
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.
Isaiah 61:3-7
New King James Version
Isaiah 61:3-7
New King James Version
3 To [a]console those who mourn in Zion,
(A)To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
(B)The planting of the Lord, (C)that He may be glorified.”
4 And they shall (D)rebuild the old ruins,
They shall raise up the former desolations,
And they shall repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations.
5 (E)Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,
And the sons of the foreigner
Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
6 (F)But you shall be named the priests of the Lord,
They shall call you the servants of our God.
(G)You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles,
And in their glory you shall boast.
7 (H)Instead of your shame you shall have double honor,
And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion.
Therefore in their land they shall possess double;
Everlasting joy shall be theirs.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 61:3 Lit. appoint
Isaiah 61:3-7
Amplified Bible
Isaiah 61:3-7
Amplified Bible
3
To grant to those who mourn in Zion the following:
To give them a [a]turban instead of dust [on their heads, a sign of mourning],
The oil of joy instead of mourning,
The garment [expressive] of praise instead of a disheartened spirit.
So they will be called the trees of righteousness [strong and magnificent, distinguished for integrity, justice, and right standing with God],
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
4
Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins,
They will raise up and restore the former desolations;
And they will renew the ruined cities,
The desolations (deserted settlements) of many generations.
5
Strangers will stand and feed your flocks,
And foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers.
6
But you shall be called the priests of the Lord;
People will speak of you as the ministers of our God.
You will eat the wealth of nations,
And you will boast of their riches.(A)
7
Instead of your [former] shame you will have a [b]double portion;
And instead of humiliation your people will shout for joy over their portion.
Therefore in their land they will possess double [what they had forfeited];
Everlasting joy will be theirs.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 61:3 In the Hebrew there is a kind of wordplay here as “turban” (Heb pe’er) and dust (epher) have the same consonants and similar vowels.
- Isaiah 61:7 I.e. abundant reward.
Isaiah 61:3-7
New International Version
Isaiah 61:3-7
New International Version
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown(A) of beauty
instead of ashes,(B)
the oil(C) of joy
instead of mourning,(D)
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting(E) of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.(F)
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins(G)
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
5 Strangers(H) will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6 And you will be called priests(I) of the Lord,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth(J) of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.
Isaiah 61:3-7
The Message
Isaiah 61:3-7
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.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Amplified Bible (AMP) 
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson