Isaiah 61

Exaltation Of The Afflicted

1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed and commissioned me
To bring good news to the humble and afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up [the wounds of] the brokenhearted,
To proclaim release [from confinement and condemnation] to the [physical and spiritual] captives
And freedom to prisoners, 2To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD,
And the day of vengeance and retribution of our God,
To comfort all who mourn, 3To grant to those who mourn in Zion the following:
To give them a turban instead of dust [on their heads, a sign of mourning],
The oil of joy instead of mourning,
The garment [expressive] of praise instead of a disheartened spirit.
So they will be called the trees of righteousness [strong and magnificent, distinguished for integrity, justice, and right standing with God],
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified. 4Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins,
They will raise up and restore the former desolations;
And they will renew the ruined cities,
The desolations (deserted settlements) of many generations. 5Strangers will stand and feed your flocks,
And foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers. 6But you shall be called the priests of the LORD;
People will speak of you as the ministers of our God.
You will eat the wealth of nations,
And you will boast of their riches. 7Instead of your [former] shame you will have a double portion;
And instead of humiliation your people will shout for joy over their portion.
Therefore in their land they will possess double [what they had forfeited];
Everlasting joy will be theirs. 8For I, the LORD, love justice;
I hate robbery with a burnt offering.
And I will faithfully reward them,
And make an everlasting covenant with them. 9Then their offspring will be known among the nations,
And their descendants among the peoples.
All who see them [in their prosperity] will recognize and acknowledge them
That they are the people whom the LORD has blessed. 10I will rejoice greatly in the LORD,
My soul will exult in my God;
For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,
He has covered me with a robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom puts on a turban,
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 spring up,
So the Lord GOD will [most certainly] cause righteousness and justice and praise
To spring up before all the nations [through the power of His word].