Isaiah 61
Contemporary English Version
The Good News of Victory
61 (A)(B) The Spirit of the Lord God
has taken control of me!
The Lord has chosen and sent me
to tell the oppressed
the good news,
to heal the brokenhearted,
and to announce freedom
for prisoners and captives.
2 (C) This is the year
when the Lord God
will show kindness to us
and punish our enemies.
The Lord has sent me
to comfort those who mourn,
3 especially in Jerusalem.
He sent me to give them flowers
in place of their sorrow,
olive oil in place of tears,
and joyous praise
in place of broken hearts.
They will be called
“Trees of Justice,”
planted by the Lord
to honor his name.
4 Then they will rebuild cities
that have been in ruins
for many generations.
5 They will hire foreigners
to take care of their sheep
and their vineyards.
6 But they themselves will be
priests and servants
of the Lord our God.
The treasures of the nations
will belong to them,
and they will be famous.[a]
7 They were terribly insulted
and horribly mistreated;
now they will be greatly blessed
and joyful forever.
The Lord Loves Justice
8 I, the Lord, love justice!
But I hate robbery
and injustice.[b]
My people, I solemnly promise
to reward you
with an eternal agreement.
9 Your descendants will be known
in every nation.
All who see them will realize
that they have been blessed,
by me, the Lord.
Celebrate and Shout
10 (D) I celebrate and shout
because of my Lord God.
His saving power and justice
are the very clothes I wear.
They are more beautiful
than the jewelry worn
by a bride or groom.
11 The Lord will bring about
justice and praise
in every nation on earth,
like flowers blooming
in a garden.
Isaiah 61
English Standard Version
The Year of the Lord's Favor
61 (A)The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has (B)anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;[a]
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and (C)the opening of the prison to those who are bound;[b]
2 (D)to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
(E)and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
(F)to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
(G)the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
(H)that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, (I)that he may be glorified.[c]
4 (J)They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
5 (K)Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks;
foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;
6 (L)but you shall be called the priests of the Lord;
they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;
(M)you shall eat the wealth of the nations,
and in their glory you shall boast.
7 (N)Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion;
instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;
therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;
they shall have everlasting joy.
8 (O)For I the Lord love justice;
I hate robbery and wrong;[d]
(P)I will faithfully give them their recompense,
(Q)and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their offspring shall be known among the nations,
and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge them,
that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.
10 (R)I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
(S)for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself (T)like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
(U)and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause (V)righteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 61:1 Or afflicted
- Isaiah 61:1 Or the opening [of the eyes] to those who are blind; Septuagint and recovery of sight to the blind
- Isaiah 61:3 Or that he may display his beauty
- Isaiah 61:8 Or robbery with a burnt offering
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The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
