Isaiah 61

¹ The spirit of the Lord Yahweh has been given to me, for Yahweh has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up hearts that are broken; to proclaim liberty to captives, freedom to those in prison;

² to proclaim a year of favour from Yahweh, a day of vengeance for our God, to comfort all those who mourn

³ and to give them for ashes a garland; for mourning robe the oil of gladness, for despondency, praise. They are to be called ‘terebinths of integrity’, planted by Yahweh to glorify him.

⁴ They will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will raise what has long lain waste, they will restore the ruined cities, all that has lain waste for ages past.

⁵ Strangers will be there to feed your flocks, foreigners as your ploughmen and vinedressers;

⁶ but you, you will be named ‘priests of Yahweh’, they will call you ‘ministers of our God’. You will feed on the wealth of nations and array yourselves in their magnificence.

⁷ For their shame was twofold, disgrace and spitting their lot. Twofold therefore shall they possess in their land, everlasting joy is theirs.

⁸ For I, Yahweh, love justice, I hate robbery and all that is wrong. I reward them faithfully and make an everlasting covenant with them.

⁹ Their race will be famous throughout the nations, their descendants throughout the peoples. All who see them will admit that they are a race whom Yahweh has blessed.

¹⁰ ‘I exult for joy in Yahweh, my soul rejoices in my God, for he has clothed me in the garments of salvation, he has wrapped me in the cloak of integrity, like a bridegroom wearing his wreath, like a bride adorned in her jewels.

¹¹ ‘For as the earth makes fresh things grow, as a garden makes seeds spring up, so will the Lord Yahweh make both integrity and praise spring up in the sight of the nations.’