Isaiah 61
Darby Translation
61 The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me, because Jehovah hath anointed me to announce glad tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 to proclaim the acceptable year of Jehovah, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
3 to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, that beauty should be given unto them instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of the spirit of heaviness: that they might be called terebinths of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, that he may be glorified.
4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the places desolate from generation to generation.
5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your ploughmen and your vinedressers.
6 But as for you, ye shall be called priests of Jehovah; it shall be said of you: Ministers of our God. Ye shall eat the wealth of the nations, and into their glory shall ye enter.
7 Instead of your shame [ye shall have] double; instead of confusion they shall celebrate with joy their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double; everlasting joy shall be unto them.
8 For I, Jehovah, love judgment, I hate robbery with wrong; and I will give their recompence in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 And their seed shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are a seed that Jehovah hath blessed.
10 I will greatly rejoice in Jehovah, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with the priestly turban, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as a garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord Jehovah will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
Isaiah 61
English Standard Version
The Year of the Lord's Favor
61 (A)The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has (B)anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;[a]
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and (C)the opening of the prison to those who are bound;[b]
2 (D)to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
(E)and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
(F)to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
(G)the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
(H)that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, (I)that he may be glorified.[c]
4 (J)They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
5 (K)Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks;
foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;
6 (L)but you shall be called the priests of the Lord;
they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;
(M)you shall eat the wealth of the nations,
and in their glory you shall boast.
7 (N)Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion;
instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;
therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;
they shall have everlasting joy.
8 (O)For I the Lord love justice;
I hate robbery and wrong;[d]
(P)I will faithfully give them their recompense,
(Q)and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their offspring shall be known among the nations,
and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge them,
that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.
10 (R)I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
(S)for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself (T)like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
(U)and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause (V)righteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 61:1 Or afflicted
- Isaiah 61:1 Or the opening [of the eyes] to those who are blind; Septuagint and recovery of sight to the blind
- Isaiah 61:3 Or that he may display his beauty
- Isaiah 61:8 Or robbery with a burnt offering
Isaiah 61
New King James Version
The Good News of Salvation
61 “The (A)Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord (B)has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me (C)to [a]heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim (D)liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 (E)To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And (F)the day of vengeance of our God;
(G)To comfort all who mourn,
3 To [b]console those who mourn in Zion,
(H)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,
(I)The planting of the Lord, (J)that He may be glorified.”
4 And they shall (K)rebuild the old ruins,
They shall raise up the former desolations,
And they shall repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations.
5 (L)Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,
And the sons of the foreigner
Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
6 (M)But you shall be named the priests of the Lord,
They shall call you the servants of our God.
(N)You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles,
And in their glory you shall boast.
7 (O)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.
8 “For (P)I, the Lord, love justice;
(Q)I hate robbery [c]for burnt offering;
I will direct their work in truth,
(R)And will make with them an everlasting covenant.
9 Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles,
And their offspring among the people.
All who see them shall acknowledge them,
(S)That they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed.”
10 (T)I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For (U)He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
(V)As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its bud,
As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth,
So the Lord God will cause (W)righteousness and (X)praise to spring forth before all the nations.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 61:1 Lit. bind up
- Isaiah 61:3 Lit. appoint
- Isaiah 61:8 Or in
Isaiah 61
New Living Translation
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]
2 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.
3 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.
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.”
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.
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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.

