The Good News of Salvation

61 “The aSpirit of the Lord God is upon Me,

Because the Lord bhas anointed Me

To preach good tidings to the poor;

He has sent Me cto 1heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim dliberty to the captives,

And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

2 eTo proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,

And fthe day of vengeance of our God;

gTo comfort all who mourn,

3 To 2console those who mourn in Zion,

hTo give them beauty 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,

iThe planting of the Lord, jthat He may be glorified.”

4 And they shall krebuild the old ruins,

They shall raise up the former desolations,

And they shall repair the ruined cities,

The desolations of many generations.

5 lStrangers shall stand and feed your flocks,

And the sons of the foreigner

Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

6 mBut you shall be named the priests of the Lord,

They shall call you the servants of our God.

nYou shall eat the riches of the Gentiles,

And in their glory you shall boast.

7 oInstead of your shame you shall have double honor,

And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion.

Therefore in their land they shall possess double;

Everlasting joy shall be theirs.

8 “For pI, the Lord, love justice;

qI hate robbery 3for burnt offering;

I will direct their work in truth,

rAnd will make with them an everlasting covenant.

9 Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles,

And their offspring among the people.

All who see them shall acknowledge them,

sThat they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed.”

10 tI will greatly rejoice in the Lord,

My soul shall be joyful in my God;

For uHe has clothed me with the garments of salvation,

He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

vAs a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,

And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as the earth brings forth its bud,

As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth,

So the Lord God will cause wrighteousness and xpraise to spring forth before all the nations.