The
Lord Yahweh’s Spirit is on me,
because
Yahweh has anointed me to preach good news to the humble.
He
has sent me to bind up the broken hearted,
to
proclaim liberty to the captives
and
release to those who are bound,
to
proclaim the year of Yahweh’s favor
and
the day of vengeance of our God,
to
comfort all who mourn,
to
provide for those who mourn in Zion,
to
give to them a garland 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,
the
planting of Yahweh,
that
he may be glorified.
They
will rebuild the old ruins.
They
will raise up the former devastated places.
They
will repair the ruined cities
that
have been devastated for many generations.
Strangers
will stand and feed your flocks.
Foreigners
will work your fields and your vineyards.
But
you will be called Yahweh’s priests.
Men
will call you the servants of our God.
Instead
of your shame you will have double.
Instead
of dishonor, they will rejoice in their portion.
Therefore,
in their land they will possess double.
Everlasting
joy will be to them.
“For
I, Yahweh, love justice.
I
will give them their reward in truth
and
I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their
offspring will be known among the nations,
and
their offspring among the peoples.
All
who see them will acknowledge them,
that
they are the offspring which Yahweh has blessed.”
I
will greatly rejoice in Yahweh!
My
soul will be joyful in my God,
for
he has clothed me with the garments of salvation.
He
has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as
a bridegroom decks himself with a garland
and
as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For
as the earth produces its bud,
and
as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring up,
so
the Lord Yahweh will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the
nations.
Isaiah 61