Isaiah 61

The Lord’s Message of Freedom

61The Lord God has put his Spirit in me,

because the Lord has appointed me to tell the good news to the poor.

He has sent me to comfort those whose hearts are broken,

to tell the captives they are free,

and to tell the prisoners they are released.

²He has sent me to announce the time when the Lord will show his kindness

and the time when our God will punish evil people.

He has sent me to comfort all those who are sad

³and to help the sorrowing people of Jerusalem.

I will give them a crown to replace their ashes,

and the oil of gladness to replace their sorrow,

and clothes of praise to replace their spirit of sadness.

Then they will be called Trees of Goodness,

trees planted by the Lord to show his greatness.

⁴They will rebuild the old ruins

and restore the places destroyed long ago.

They will repair the ruined cities

that were destroyed for so long.

⁵My people, foreigners will come to tend your sheep.

People from other countries will tend your fields and vineyards.

⁶You will be called priests of the Lord;

you will be named the servants of our God.

You will have riches from all the nations on earth,

and you will take pride in them.

⁷Instead of being ashamed, my people will receive twice as much wealth.

Instead of being disgraced, they will be happy because of what they receive.

They will receive a double share of the land,

so their happiness will continue forever.

⁸“I, the Lord, love justice.

I hate stealing and everything that is wrong.

I will be fair and give my people what they should have,

and I will make an agreement with them that will continue forever.

⁹Everyone in all nations will know the children of my people,

and their children will be known among the nations.

Anyone who sees them will know

that they are people the Lord has blessed.”

¹⁰The Lord makes me very happy;

all that I am rejoices in my God.

He has covered me with clothes of salvation

and wrapped me with a coat of goodness,

like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding,

like a bride dressed in jewels.

¹¹The earth causes plants to grow,

and a garden causes the seeds planted in it to grow.

In the same way the Lord God will make goodness and praise

come from all the nations.