Isaiah 61
The Spirit of the Lord has anointed the speaker to bring good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, and proclaim liberty to captives. The Lord will comfort those who mourn, granting them a beautiful headdress, the oil of gladness, and a garment of praise. The people will rebuild ancient ruins, and foreigners will serve them, but they will be called priests of the Lord and eat the wealth of the nations. The Lord will give them a double portion and everlasting joy, and their offspring will be known among the nations as blessed by the Lord.
1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;2to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;3to grant to those who mourn in Zion--to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.4They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.5Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks; foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;6but you shall be called the priests of the LORD; they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory you shall boast.7Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy.8For I the LORD love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.9Their offspring shall be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are an offspring the LORD has blessed.10I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult 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 like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.11For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.
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