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Isaiah 61:3-9
New Living Translation
Isaiah 61:3-9
New Living Translation
3 To all who mourn in Israel,[a]
he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins,
repairing cities destroyed long ago.
They will revive them,
though they have been deserted for many generations.
5 Foreigners will be your servants.
They will feed your flocks
and plow your fields
and tend your vineyards.
6 You will be called priests of the Lord,
ministers of our God.
You will feed on the treasures of the nations
and boast in their riches.
7 Instead of shame and dishonor,
you will enjoy a double share of honor.
You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land,
and everlasting joy will be yours.
8 “For I, the Lord, love justice.
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering
and make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their descendants will be recognized
and honored among the nations.
Everyone will realize that they are a people
the Lord has blessed.”
Footnotes
- 61:3 Hebrew in Zion.
Isaiah 61:3-9
New English Translation
Isaiah 61:3-9
New English Translation
3 to strengthen those who mourn in Zion,
by giving them a turban, instead of ashes,
oil symbolizing joy,[a] instead of mourning,
a garment symbolizing praise,[b] instead of discouragement.[c]
They will be called oaks of righteousness,[d]
trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor.[e]
4 They will rebuild the perpetual ruins
and restore the places that were desolate;[f]
they will reestablish the ruined cities,
the places that have been desolate since ancient times.
5 [g] “Foreigners will take care of[h] your sheep;
foreigners will work in your fields and vineyards.
6 You will be called, ‘the Lord’s priests,
servants of our God.’[i]
You will enjoy[j] the wealth of nations
and boast about[k] the riches you receive from them.[l]
7 Instead of shame, you will get a double portion;[m]
instead of humiliation, they will rejoice over the land they receive.[n]
Yes,[o] they will possess a double portion in their land
and experience lasting joy.
8 For I, the Lord, love justice
and hate robbery and sin.
I will repay them because of my faithfulness;[p]
I will make a permanent covenant with them.
9 Their descendants will be known among the nations,
their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will recognize that
the Lord has blessed them.”[q]
Footnotes
- Isaiah 61:3 tn Heb “oil of joy” (KJV, ASV); NASB, NIV, NRSV “the oil of gladness.”
- Isaiah 61:3 tn Heb “garment of praise.”
- Isaiah 61:3 tn Heb “a faint spirit” (so NRSV); KJV, ASV “the spirit of heaviness”; NASB “a spirit of fainting.”
- Isaiah 61:3 tn Rather than referring to the character of the people, צֶדֶק (tsedeq) may carry the nuance “vindication” here, suggesting that God’s restored people are a testimony to his justice. See v. 2, which alludes to the fact that God will take vengeance against the enemies of his people. Cf. NAB “oaks of justice.”
- Isaiah 61:3 tn Heb “a planting of the Lord to reveal splendor.”
- Isaiah 61:4 tn Heb “and the formerly desolate places they will raise up.”
- Isaiah 61:5 sn The Lord speaks in vv. 7-8 (and possibly v. 9). It is not clear where the servant’s speech (see vv. 1-3a) ends and the Lord’s begins. Perhaps the direct address to the people signals the beginning of the Lord’s speech.
- Isaiah 61:5 tn Heb “will stand [in position] and shepherd.”
- Isaiah 61:6 tn The Hebrew text adds, “it will be said concerning you.”
- Isaiah 61:6 tn Heb “eat” (KJV, NAB, NASB); NIV “feed on”; NLT “be fed with.”
- Isaiah 61:6 tc The form in the Hebrew text probably needs to be emended to יִתְאַמְּרוּ (yitʾammeru), a Hitpael from אָמַר (ʾamar), meaning “boast about” (see HALOT 67 s.v. II אמר, HALOT 416 s.v. ימר, and BDB 56 s.v. אָמַר).
- Isaiah 61:6 tn Heb “their glory” (i.e., riches).
- Isaiah 61:7 tn Heb “instead of your shame, a double portion.”
- Isaiah 61:7 tn Heb “and [instead of] humiliation they will rejoice [over] their portion.” The term תַחַת (takhat, “instead of”) is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
- Isaiah 61:7 tn Heb “therefore” (so KJV, NASB); NIV “and so.”
- Isaiah 61:8 tn Heb “in faithfulness”; NASB, NRSV, NLT “faithfully.”
- Isaiah 61:9 tn Heb “all who see them will recognize them, that they [are] descendants [whom] the Lord has blessed.”
Isaiah 61:3-9
New International Version
Isaiah 61:3-9
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.
7 Instead of your shame(K)
you will receive a double(L) portion,
and instead of disgrace
you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit(M) a double portion in your land,
and everlasting joy(N) will be yours.
8 “For I, the Lord, love justice;(O)
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
and make an everlasting covenant(P) with them.
9 Their descendants(Q) 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.”(R)
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New English Translation (NET)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.