61:4 They will rebuild the perpetual ruins

and restore the places that were desolate; ¹ 

they will reestablish the ruined cities,

the places that have been desolate since ancient times.

61:5 ² 

“Foreigners will take care of ³  your sheep;

foreigners will work in your fields and vineyards.

61:6 You will be called, ‘the Lord’s priests,

servants of our God.’ ⁴ 

You will enjoy ⁵  the wealth of nations

and boast about ⁶  the riches you receive from them. ⁷ 

61:7 Instead of shame, you will get a double portion; ⁸ 

instead of humiliation, they will rejoice over the land they receive. ⁹ 

Yes, ¹⁰  they will possess a double portion in their land

and experience lasting joy.

61:8 For I, the Lord, love justice

and hate robbery and sin.

I will repay them because of my faithfulness; ¹¹ 

I will make a permanent covenant with them.

61:9 Their descendants will be known among the nations,

their offspring among the peoples.

All who see them will recognize that

the Lord has blessed them.” ¹² 

61:10 I ¹³  will greatly rejoice ¹⁴  in the Lord;

I will be overjoyed because of my God. ¹⁵ 

For he clothes me in garments of deliverance;

he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication. ¹⁶ 

I look like a bridegroom when he wears a turban as a priest would;

I look like a bride when she puts on her jewelry. ¹⁷ 

61:11 For just as the ground produces its crops

and a garden yields its produce,

so the sovereign Lord will cause deliverance ¹⁸  to grow,

and give his people reason to praise him in the sight of all the nations. ¹⁹