Isaiah 61

¹The Lord GOD’s Spirit is on me,

because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the humble.

He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives

and release to those who are bound,

²to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favour

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

³to provide for those who mourn in Zion,

to give to them a garland 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,

the planting of the LORD,

that he may be glorified.

⁴They will rebuild the old ruins.

They will raise up the former devastated places.

They will repair the ruined cities

that have been devastated for many generations.

⁵Strangers will stand and feed your flocks.

Foreigners will work your fields and your vineyards.

⁶But you will be called the LORD’s priests.

Men will call you the servants of our God.

You will eat the wealth of the nations.

You will boast in their glory.

⁷Instead of your shame you will have double.

Instead of dishonour, they will rejoice in their portion.

Therefore in their land they will possess double.

Everlasting joy will be to them.

⁸“For I, the LORD, love justice.

I hate robbery and iniquity.

I will give them their reward in truth

and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

⁹Their offspring will be known amongst the nations,

and their offspring amongst the peoples.

All who see them will acknowledge them,

that they are the offspring which the LORD has blessed.”

¹⁰I will greatly rejoice in the LORD!

My soul will 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 a garland

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

¹¹For as the earth produces its bud,

and as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring up,

so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.