Isaiah 61

Modern

Literal

The Year of the LORD’s Favor

¹The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me,

because the LORD has anointed Me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives

and freedom to the prisoners,^a

¹The Spirit of the Lord YHWH is upon me, because YHWH has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind the wounds of the broken of heart, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to the bound the opening of their bonds;

²to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor^a

and the day of our God’s vengeance,

to comfort all who mourn,

²to proclaim the year of the favor of YHWH, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all in mourning,

³to console the mourners in Zion—

to give them a crown of beauty for ashes,

the oil of joy for mourning,

and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair.

So they will be called oaks of righteousness,

the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

³to appoint to mourners in Zion, to give to them beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of a spirit of dullness. And will be called to them oaks of righteousness, the planting of YHWH, for His being glorified.

⁴They will rebuild the ancient ruins;

they will restore the places long devastated;

they will renew the ruined cities,

the desolations of many generations.

⁴And they will rebuild the ruins of old, and they will raise up the former desolations; and they will make new the ruined cities, the desolations of generation and generation.

⁵Strangers will stand and feed your flocks,

and foreigners will be your plowmen and vinedressers.

⁵And strangers will stand and pasture your flocks, and the sons of the foreigner will be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

⁶But you will be called the priests of the LORD;

they will speak of you as ministers of our God;

you will feed on the wealth of nations,

and you will boast in their riches.

⁶And you will be called the priests of YHWH, to you they will speak as servants of our God: You will eat the riches of the nations, and in their glory you will boast.

⁷Instead of shame, My people will have a double portion,

and instead of humiliation, they will rejoice in their share;

and so they will inherit a double portion in their land,

and everlasting joy will be theirs.

⁷Instead of your shame and dishonor, double, they will rejoice in their portion, so that in their land they will possess double; joy forever will be unto them.

⁸For I, the LORD, love justice;

I hate robbery and iniquity;

in My faithfulness I will give them their recompense

and make an everlasting covenant with them.

⁸For I am YHWH, loving justice and hating robbery with injustice! And I will give their recompense in truth, and a covenant forever I will cut with them.

⁹Their descendants 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.

⁹And their seed will be known among the nations, and their offspring in the midst of the peoples; and all those seeing them will acknowledge them, that they are the seed blessed by YHWH.

¹⁰I will rejoice greatly in the LORD,

my soul will exult in my God;

for He has clothed me with garments of salvation

and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom wears a priestly headdress,

as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

¹⁰I will rejoice greatly in YHWH; my soul will be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me in the garments of salvation, and with the robe of righteousness He has covered me, like the bridegroom putting on a priestly headdress, and like the bride adorning herself with her jewels.

¹¹For as the earth brings forth its growth,

and as a garden enables seed to spring up,

so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise

to spring up before all the nations.

¹¹For as the earth brings forth its sprout, and as the garden causes its sown things to sprout, so the Lord YHWH will make sprout righteousness and praise before all the nations.