They will rebuild the ancient ruins;(A)
they will restore the former devastations;
they will renew the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
Strangers will stand and feed your flocks,
and foreigners will be your plowmen and vinedressers.(B)

But you will be called the Lord’s priests;(C)
they will speak of you as ministers of our God;
you will eat the wealth of the nations,
and you will boast in their riches.
In place of your shame, you will have a double portion;(D)
in place of disgrace, they will rejoice over their share.
So they will possess double in their land,(E)
and eternal joy will be theirs.

For I the Lord love justice;(F)
I hate robbery and injustice;[a]
I will faithfully reward my people
and make a permanent covenant(G) with them.
Their descendants will be known among the nations,
and their posterity among the peoples.
All who see them will recognize
that they are a people the Lord has blessed.

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Footnotes

  1. 61:8 Some Hb mss, DSS, LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg; other Hb mss read robbery with a burnt offering

They will rebuild the ancient ruins;
    they will restore the places long devastated;
they will build again the ruined cities,
    they will build again[a] the places devastated for many generations.
Strangers will stand and feed your flocks,
    and foreigners will work your land
        and dress your vines.
But as for you, you will be called priests of the Lord,
    and[b] you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of the nations,
    and you will boast about their riches.
Instead of your shame you will receive double,
    and instead of disgrace people will shout with joy over your[c] inheritance;
therefore you[d] will inherit a double portion in their land;
    everlasting joy will be yours.”[e]

“For I, the Lord, love justice,
    and[f] I hate robbery and iniquity;
I will faithfully present your reward[g]
    and make an everlasting covenant with you.[h]
Your[i] offspring will be known among the nations,
    and your[j] descendants among the people.[k]
All who see them will acknowledge them,
    that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 61:4 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lacks again
  2. Isaiah 61:6 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lacks and
  3. Isaiah 61:7 So 1QIsaa; MT reads their
  4. Isaiah 61:7 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX reads they
  5. Isaiah 61:7 So 1QIsaa; MT reads theirs; LXX reads over their head
  6. Isaiah 61:8 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT lacks and
  7. Isaiah 61:8 So 1QIsaa; MT LX read present their reward
  8. Isaiah 61:8 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read with them
  9. Isaiah 61:9 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read Their
  10. Isaiah 61:9 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read their
  11. Isaiah 61:9 Lit. peoples