Isaiah 61

1 The spirit of My Lord Yahweh, is upon me, —Because Yahweh Hath anointed me to tell good tidings to the oppressed, Hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, To proclaim To captives, liberty, To them who are bound, the opening of the prison;

The Lord GOD’s Spirit is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach 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,

2 To proclaim—The year of acceptance of Yahweh, and The day of avenging of our God: To comfort all who are mourning;

to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,

3 To appoint unto the mourners of Zion—To give unto them A chaplet instead of ashes, The oil of joy instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of the spirit of dejection, —So shall they be called The oaks of righteousness, The plantation of Yahweh: That he may get himself glory

to 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.

4 Then shall they build the wastes of a bygone age, The desolations of former times, shall they raise up, —And they shall build anew—The cities laid waste, The desolations of generation after generation.

They 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.

5 Then shall strangers stay and feed your flocks, —And, the sons of the foreigner, shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

Strangers will stand and feed your flocks. Foreigners will work your fields and your vineyards.

6 But, ye, the priests of Yahweh, shall be called, The attendants of our God, shall ye be named, —The riches of the nations, shall ye eat, And in their glory, shall ye boast yourselves.

But 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.

7 Instead of your shame, —double! and Instead of disgrace, they shall shout in triumph over their portion, —Therefore in their own land, shall they possess double, Joy age-abiding, shall be theirs.

Instead 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, Yahweh, am a lover of justice, Hating plunder, for an ascending-sacrifice, Therefore will I give their reward with faithfulness, And an age-abiding covenant, will I solemnise for them.

“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.

9 Then shall be known among the nations, their seed, And, their offspring, in the midst of the peoples, —All who see them, shall acknowledge them, That, they, are the seed that Yahweh hath blessed.

Their 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.”

10 I will, greatly rejoice, in Yahweh, My soul shall exult in my God, For he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, With a robe of righteousness, hath he enwrapt me, —As a bridegroom, adorneth himself with, a chaplet, And as a bride, bedecketh herself with, her jewels.

I 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.

11 For as the earth, bringeth forth her bud, And as, a garden, causeth her seeds, to shoot forth, So, My Lord, Yahweh, will cause to shoot forth Righteousness and praise before all the nations.

For 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.