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Good News for the Oppressed

61 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
    for the Lord has anointed me
    to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
    and to proclaim that captives will be released
    and prisoners will be freed.[a]
He has sent me to tell those who mourn
    that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,[b]
    and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
To all who mourn in Israel,[c]
    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.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins,
    repairing cities destroyed long ago.
They will revive them,
    though they have been deserted for many generations.
Foreigners will be your servants.
    They will feed your flocks
and plow your fields
    and tend your vineyards.
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.
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.

“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.
Their descendants will be recognized
    and honored among the nations.
Everyone will realize that they are a people
    the Lord has blessed.”

10 I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God!
    For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation
    and draped me in a robe of righteousness.
I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding
    or a bride with her jewels.
11 The Sovereign Lord will show his justice to the nations of the world.
    Everyone will praise him!
His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring,
    with plants springing up everywhere.

Footnotes

  1. 61:1 Greek version reads and the blind will see. Compare Luke 4:18.
  2. 61:2 Or to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
  3. 61:3 Hebrew in Zion.

Exaltation of the Afflicted

61 The (A)Spirit of Lord Yahweh is upon me
Because Yahweh has anointed me
To (B)bring good news to the [a](C)afflicted;
He has sent me to (D)bind up the brokenhearted,
To (E)proclaim release to captives
And [b]freedom to prisoners,
To (F)proclaim the favorable year of Yahweh
And the (G)day of vengeance of our God,
To (H)comfort all who mourn,
To (I)grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a headdress instead of ashes,
The (J)oil of rejoicing instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called [c](K)oaks of righteousness,
The planting of Yahweh, that He may show forth His beautiful glory.

Then they will (L)rebuild the ancient waste places;
They will raise up the former desolations;
And they will make new the ruined cities,
The desolations from generation to generation.
(M)Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks,
And [d]foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers.
But you will be called the (N)priests of Yahweh;
You will be spoken of as (O)ministers of our God.
You will eat the (P)wealth of nations,
And in their glories you will boast.
Instead of your (Q)shame you will have a (R)double portion,
And instead of dishonor they will shout for joy over their portion.
Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land;
(S)Everlasting gladness will be theirs.
For I, Yahweh, (T)love justice,
I hate robbery [e]in the burnt offering;
And in truth I will give them their recompense
And cut an (U)everlasting covenant with them.
Then their seed will be known among the nations,
And their offspring in the midst of the peoples.
All who see them will recognize them
Because they are the (V)seed whom Yahweh has blessed.

10 I will (W)rejoice greatly in Yahweh;
My soul will rejoice in (X)my God,
For He has (Y)clothed me with garments of salvation,
He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with a headdress,
And (Z)as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the (AA)earth brings forth its branches,
And as a garden causes the things sown in it to branch out,
So Lord Yahweh will (AB)cause (AC)righteousness and praise
To branch out before all the nations.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 61:1 Or humble
  2. Isaiah 61:1 Lit opening to those who are bound
  3. Isaiah 61:3 Or terebinths
  4. Isaiah 61:5 Lit sons of the foreigner
  5. Isaiah 61:8 Or with iniquity