61:1 The spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me,

because the Lord has chosen ¹  me. ² 

He has commissioned ³  me to encourage ⁴  the poor,

to help ⁵  the brokenhearted,

to decree the release of captives,

and the freeing of prisoners,

61:2 to announce the year when the Lord will show his favor,

the day when our God will seek vengeance, ⁶ 

to console all who mourn,

61:3 to strengthen those who mourn in Zion,

by giving them a turban, instead of ashes,

oil symbolizing joy, ⁷  instead of mourning,

a garment symbolizing praise, ⁸  instead of discouragement. ⁹ 

They will be called oaks of righteousness, ¹⁰ 

trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor. ¹¹ 

61:4 They will rebuild the perpetual ruins

and restore the places that were desolate; ¹² 

they will reestablish the ruined cities,

the places that have been desolate since ancient times.

61:5 ¹³ 

“Foreigners will take care of ¹⁴  your sheep;

foreigners will work in your fields and vineyards.

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

servants of our God.’ ¹⁵ 

You will enjoy ¹⁶  the wealth of nations

and boast about ¹⁷  the riches you receive from them. ¹⁸ 

61:7 Instead of shame, you will get a double portion; ¹⁹ 

instead of humiliation, they will rejoice over the land they receive. ²⁰ 

Yes, ²¹  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; ²² 

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.” ²³ 

61:10 I ²⁴  will greatly rejoice ²⁵  in the Lord;

I will be overjoyed because of my God. ²⁶ 

For he clothes me in garments of deliverance;

he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication. ²⁷ 

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. ²⁸ 

61:11 For just as the ground produces its crops

and a garden yields its produce,

so the sovereign Lord will cause deliverance ²⁹  to grow,

and give his people reason to praise him in the sight of all the nations. ³⁰