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The Lord’s Favor

61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to preach good news to the poor;
He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted,
    to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn,
    to preserve those who mourn in Zion,
to give to them beauty
    for ashes,
the oil of joy
    for mourning,
the garment of praise
    for the spirit of heaviness,
that they might be called trees of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord,
    that He might be glorified.

They shall build the old ruins;
    they shall raise up the former desolations,
and they shall repair the waste cities,
    the desolations of many generations.
Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,
    and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
But you shall be named the priests of the Lord;
    men shall call you the ministers of our God.
You shall eat the riches of the nations,
    and in their glory you shall boast.

Instead of your shame
    you shall have double honor,
and instead of humiliation
    they shall rejoice over their portion.
Therefore, in their land they shall possess a double portion;
    everlasting joy shall be theirs.

For I, the Lord, love justice,
    I hate robbery in the burnt offering;
and I will faithfully give them their recompense
    and make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their descendants shall be known among the nations
    and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them shall acknowledge them
    because they are the descendants whom the Lord has blessed.

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
    my soul shall be joyful in my God;
for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
    He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth her buds,
    and as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
    to spring forth before all the nations.

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]
to 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)
    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)

They will rebuild the ancient ruins(S)
    and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
    that have been devastated for generations.
Strangers(T) will shepherd your flocks;
    foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
And 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.

Instead 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.

“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.
Their 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)

10 I 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.
11 For 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.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blind