61 The Spirit of the Almighty Lord is on me,
because he has chosen me to serve him. [ a ]
He has sent me to tell good news to poor people.
He has sent me to comfort people who are very upset.
He has sent me to tell prisoners that they are now free.
They can go out of their prisons!
2 He has sent me to say,
‘This is the year when the Lord will be kind to his people.’
It is the time when our God will punish our enemies.
He has sent me to comfort people who are weeping
because they are sad.
3 In that way, the people in Zion who are sad
will become strong again.
They will not put ashes on their heads any more. [ b ]
Instead, they will wear beautiful hats.
Instead of weeping,
they will have olive oil to show their joy.
They will not feel upset,
but they will sing happy songs to praise God.
People will call them ‘Strong trees that show God's righteousness’.
They will be like trees that the Lord himself has planted
to show how great he is.
4 God's people will build again their towns
that became heaps of stones a long time ago.
Once again, they will live in the cities
that have been empty for so long.
5 The Lord says to his people,
‘Foreign people will take care of your sheep for you.
They will work on your farms,
and they will take care of your vines. [ c ]
6 People will call you
“The Lord 's priests who are servants of our God”.
You will enjoy valuable things from other nations.
You will boast about all the riches
that you receive from them.
7 You will not be ashamed any more.
Instead, you will receive twice as much blessing.
People will not say that you are useless.
Instead, you will live happily on your own land.
Yes, my people will have twice the crops from their land,
And so they will always be very happy.
8 I, the Lord , love justice.
I hate it when people rob others,
or they do other wrong things.
Because I am faithful,
I will give help to my people.
I will make a covenant with them
that will continue for ever.
9 Their descendants will be famous
among the other nations.
Everyone who sees them will know
that the Lord has blessed them.’
10 I am very happy,
because of what the Lord , my God, has done. [ d ]
I have so much joy!
He has given salvation to me,
like clothes that I can wear all the time.
I have his righteousness as my coat!
He makes me handsome,
like a bridegroom who wears a priest's hat.
He makes me beautiful,
like a bride who wears her jewels.
11 The Almighty Lord will cause his righteousness
to grow everywhere.
It will grow like crops in the fields,
and like plants that grow in a garden.
Then his people will praise him,
and all the nations will see it!
61 The Spirit of the Lord God is on me. The Lord has chosen me to tell good news to the poor and to comfort those who are sad. He sent me to tell the captives and prisoners that they have been set free. 2 He sent me to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show his kindness, when our God will also punish evil people. He has sent me to comfort those who are sad, 3 those in Zion who mourn. I will take away the ashes on their head, and I will give them a crown. I will take away their sadness, and I will give them the oil of happiness. I will take away their sorrow, and I will give them celebration clothes. He sent me to name them ‘Good Trees’ and ‘The Lord ’s Wonderful Plant.’
4 Then the old cities that were destroyed will be rebuilt. Those ancient ruins will be made new, as they were in the beginning.
5 Then your enemies will come to care for your sheep, and their children will work in your fields and in your gardens. 6 You will be called, ‘The Lord ’s Priests,’ ‘The Servants of our God.’ You will be proud of all the riches that have come to you from all the nations on earth.
7 In the past, other people shamed you and said bad things to you. You were shamed much more than any other people. So in your land you will get two times more than other people. You will get the joy that continues forever. 8 That’s because I am the Lord and I love justice. I hate stealing and everything that is wrong. So I will give the people what they deserve. I will make an agreement with my people forever. 9 Their descendants will be known throughout the earth, and everyone will know their children. Whoever sees them will know that the Lord has blessed them.
10 The Lord makes me very happy.
I am completely happy with my God.
He dressed me in the clothes of salvation.
He put the victory coat on me.
I look like a man dressed for his wedding,
like a bride covered with jewels.
11 The earth causes plants to grow,
and a garden makes the seeds planted there rise up.
In the same way, the Lord God will make goodness and praise
grow throughout the nations.
61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord , and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord , that he might 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 desolations of many generations.
5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord : men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
8 For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed.
10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord , 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 ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
61 The ( A ) Spirit of the Lord [ a ] God is upon me,
Because the Lord anointed me
To ( B ) bring good news to the ( C ) humble;
He has sent me to ( D ) bind up the brokenhearted,
To ( E ) proclaim [ b ] release to captives
And [ c ] freedom to prisoners;
2 To ( F ) proclaim the favorable year of the Lord
And the ( G ) day of vengeance of our God;
To ( H ) comfort all who mourn,
3 To ( I ) grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The ( J ) oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The cloak of praise instead of a disheartened spirit.
So they will be called [ d ] ( K ) oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord , that He may be glorified.
4 Then they will ( L ) rebuild the ancient ruins,
They will raise up the former devastations;
And they will repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations.
5 ( M ) Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks,
And [ e ] foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers.
6 But you will be called the ( N ) priests of the Lord ;
You will be spoken of as ( O ) ministers of our God.
You will eat the ( P ) wealth of nations,
And you will boast in their [ f ] riches.
7 Instead of your ( Q ) shame you will have a ( R ) double portion ,
And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion.
Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land,
( S ) Everlasting joy will be theirs.
8 For I, the Lord , ( T ) love justice,
I hate robbery [ g ] in the burnt offering;
And I will faithfully give them their reward,
And make an ( U ) everlasting covenant with them.
9 Then their offspring will be known among the nations,
And their descendants in the midst of the peoples.
All who see them will recognize them
Because they are the ( V ) offspring whom the Lord has blessed.
10 I will ( W ) rejoice greatly in the Lord ,
My soul will be joyful 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 groom puts on a turban,
And ( Z ) as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the ( AA ) earth produces its sprouts,
And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up,
So the Lord [ h ] God will ( AB ) cause ( AC ) righteousness and praise
To spring up before all the nations.
61 The Spirit ( A ) of the Sovereign Lord ( B ) is on me,
because the Lord has anointed ( C ) me
to proclaim good news ( D ) to the poor. ( E )
He has sent me to bind up ( F ) the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom ( G ) for the captives ( H )
and release from darkness for the prisoners, [ a ]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord ’s favor ( I )
and the day of vengeance ( J ) of our God,
to comfort ( K ) all who mourn, ( L )
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown ( M ) of beauty
instead of ashes, ( N )
the oil ( O ) of joy
instead of mourning, ( P )
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting ( Q ) of the Lord
for the display of his splendor. ( R )
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins ( S )
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
5 Strangers ( T ) will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6 And you will be called priests ( U ) of the Lord ,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth ( V ) of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.
7 Instead of your shame ( W )
you will receive a double ( X ) portion,
and instead of disgrace
you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit ( Y ) a double portion in your land,
and everlasting joy ( Z ) will be yours.
8 “For I, the Lord , love justice; ( AA )
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
and make an everlasting covenant ( AB ) with them.
9 Their descendants ( AC ) will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the Lord has blessed.” ( AD )
10 I delight greatly in the Lord ;
my soul rejoices ( AE ) in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, ( AF )
as a bridegroom adorns his head ( AG ) like a priest,
and as a bride ( AH ) adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden ( AI ) causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness ( AJ )
and praise spring up before all nations.
