Good News of Deliverance
61 “The Spirit of the Lord[a] is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed
and[b] to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives,
and release from darkness[c] for the prisoners;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
the[d] day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
a mantle of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”
“Then people will call them[e] “Oaks of Righteousness”,
“The Planting of the Lord”,
in order to display his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins;
they will restore the places long devastated;
they will build again the ruined cities,
they will build again[f] the places devastated for many generations.
5 Strangers will stand and feed your flocks,
and foreigners will work your land
and dress your vines.
6 But as for you, you will be called priests of the Lord,
and[g] you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of the nations,
and you will boast about their riches.
7 Instead of your shame you will receive double,
and instead of disgrace people will shout with joy over your[h] inheritance;
therefore you[i] will inherit a double portion in their land;
everlasting joy will be yours.”[j]
8 “For I, the Lord, love justice,
and[k] I hate robbery and iniquity;
I will faithfully present your reward[l]
and make an everlasting covenant with you.[m]
9 Your[n] offspring will be known among the nations,
and your[o] descendants among the people.[p]
All who see them will acknowledge them,
that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.”
Rejoicing in God’s Deliverance
10 “I will heartily rejoice in the Lord,
my soul will delight in my God;
for he has wrapped me in garments of salvation;
he has arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
just like a bridegroom,
like a priest[q] with a garland,
and like a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For just as the soil brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden makes what is sown within it spring up,
so the Lord God[r] will make righteousness and praise
spring up before all the nations for Zion’s sake.”[s]
Footnotes
- Isaiah 61:1 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab LXX; 4QIsam MT read the Lord God
- Isaiah 61:1 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lacks and
- Isaiah 61:1 Or prison; or and opening of the eyes
- Isaiah 61:2 So 1QIsaa LXXms; 4QIsab MT LXX read and the
- Isaiah 61:3 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read they will be called
- Isaiah 61:4 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lacks again
- Isaiah 61:6 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lacks and
- Isaiah 61:7 So 1QIsaa; MT reads their
- Isaiah 61:7 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX reads they
- Isaiah 61:7 So 1QIsaa; MT reads theirs; LXX reads over their head
- Isaiah 61:8 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT lacks and
- Isaiah 61:8 So 1QIsaa; MT LX read present their reward
- Isaiah 61:8 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read with them
- Isaiah 61:9 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read Their
- Isaiah 61:9 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read their
- Isaiah 61:9 Lit. peoples
- Isaiah 61:10 So 1QIsaa; MT reads bridegroom decks himself like a priest; LXX reads bridegroom decks me
- Isaiah 61:11 So 1QIsaa; MT reads the Lord God; LXX reads the Lord
- Isaiah 61:11 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack for Zion’s sake