Isaiah 61
61
The Lord’s Message of Freedom
1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on me. The Lord has chosen me to tell good news to the poor and to comfort those who are sad. He sent me to tell the captives and prisoners that they have been set free. 2He sent me to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show his kindness, when our God will also punish evil people. He has sent me to comfort those who are sad, 3those in Zion who mourn. I will take away the ashes on their head, and I will give them a crown. I will take away their sadness, and I will give them the oil of happiness. I will take away their sorrow, and I will give them celebration clothes. He sent me to name them ‘Good Trees’ and ‘The Lord’s Wonderful Plant.’
4Then the old cities that were destroyed will be rebuilt. Those ancient ruins will be made new, as they were in the beginning.
5Then your enemies will come to care for your sheep, and their children will work in your fields and in your gardens. 6You will be called, ‘The Lord’s Priests,’ ‘The Servants of our God.’ You will be proud of all the riches that have come to you from all the nations on earth.
7In the past, other people shamed you and said bad things to you. You were shamed much more than any other people. So in your land you will get two times more than other people. You will get the joy that continues forever. 8That’s because I am the Lord and I love justice. I hate stealing and everything that is wrong. So I will give the people what they deserve. I will make an agreement with my people forever. 9Their descendants will be known throughout the earth, and everyone will know their children. Whoever sees them will know that the Lord has blessed them.
God’s Servant Brings Salvation
10The Lord makes me very happy.
I am completely happy with my God.
He dressed me in the clothes of salvation.
He put the victory coat on me.
I look like a man dressed for his wedding,
like a bride covered with jewels.
11The earth causes plants to grow,
and a garden makes the seeds planted there rise up.
In the same way, the Lord GOD will make goodness and praise
grow throughout the nations.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Isaiah 61
61
The Lord Will Rejuvenate His People
1 The spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me,
because the Lord has chosen#tn Heb “anointed,” i.e., designated to carry out an assigned task. me.#sn The speaker is not identified, but he is distinct from the Lord and from Zion’s suffering people. He possesses the divine spirit, is God’s spokesman, and is sent to release prisoners from bondage. The evidence suggests he is the Lord’s special servant, described earlier in the servant songs (see 42:1-4, 7; 49:2, 9; 50:4; see also 51:16).
He has commissioned#tn Or “sent” (NAB); NCV “has appointed me.” me to encourage#tn Or “proclaim good news to.” the poor,
to help#tn Heb “to bind up [the wounds of].” the brokenhearted,
to decree the release of captives,
and the freeing of prisoners,
2 to announce the year when the Lord will show his favor,
the day when our God will seek vengeance,#tn Heb “to announce the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance.
to console all who mourn,
3 to strengthen those who mourn in Zion,
by giving them a turban, instead of ashes,
oil symbolizing joy,#tn Heb “oil of joy” (KJV, ASV); NASB, NIV, NRSV “the oil of gladness.” instead of mourning,
a garment symbolizing praise,#tn Heb “garment of praise.” instead of discouragement.#tn Heb “a faint spirit” (so NRSV); KJV, ASV “the spirit of heaviness”; NASB “a spirit of fainting.”
They will be called oaks of righteousness,#tn Rather than referring to the character of the people, צֶדֶק (tsedeq) may carry the nuance “vindication” here, suggesting that God’s restored people are a testimony to his justice. See v. 2, which alludes to the fact that God will take vengeance against the enemies of his people. Cf. NAB “oaks of justice.”
trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor.#tn Heb “a planting of the Lord to reveal splendor.”
4 They will rebuild the perpetual ruins
and restore the places that were desolate;#tn Heb “and the formerly desolate places they will raise up.”
they will reestablish the ruined cities,
the places that have been desolate since ancient times.
5#sn The Lord speaks in vv. 7-8 (and possibly v. 9). It is not clear where the servant’s speech (see vv. 1-3a) ends and the Lord’s begins. Perhaps the direct address to the people signals the beginning of the Lord’s speech. “Foreigners will take care of#tn Heb “will stand [in position] and shepherd.” your sheep;
foreigners will work in your fields and vineyards.
6 You will be called, ‘the Lord’s priests,
servants of our God.’#tn The Hebrew text adds, “it will be said concerning you.”
You will enjoy#tn Heb “eat” (KJV, NAB, NASB); NIV “feed on”; NLT “be fed with.” the wealth of nations
and boast about#tc The form in the Hebrew text is probably a corruption of יִתְאַמְּרוּ (yit’ammÿru), a Hitpael from אָמַר (’amar), meaning “boast about” (see HALOT 67 s.v. II אמר, HALOT 416 s.v. ימר, and BDB 56 s.v. אָמַר). the riches you receive from them.#tn Heb “their glory” (i.e., riches).
7 Instead of shame, you will get a double portion;#tn Heb “instead of your shame, a double portion.”
instead of humiliation, they will rejoice over the land they receive.#tn Heb “and [instead of] humiliation they will rejoice [over] their portion.” The term תָחָת (takhat, “instead of”) is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
Yes,#tn Heb “therefore” (so KJV, NASB); NIV “and so.” they will possess a double portion in their land
and experience lasting joy.
8 For I, the Lord, love justice
and hate robbery and sin.
I will repay them because of my faithfulness;#tn Heb “in faithfulness”; NASB, NRSV, NLT “faithfully.”
I will make a permanent covenant with them.
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.”#tn Heb “all who see them will recognize them, that they [are] descendants [whom] the Lord has blessed.”
10 I#sn The speaker in vv. 10-11 is not identified, but it is likely that the personified nation (or perhaps Zion) responds here to the Lord’s promise of restoration. will greatly rejoice#tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis. in the Lord;
I will be overjoyed because of my God.#tn Heb “my being is happy in my God”; NAB “in my God is the joy of my soul.”
For he clothes me in garments of deliverance;
he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication.#tn Heb “robe of vindication”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “robe of righteousness.”
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.#tn Heb “like a bridegroom [who] acts like a priest [by wearing] a turban, and like a bride [who] wears her jewelry.” The words “I look” are supplied for stylistic reasons and clarification.
11 For just as the ground produces its crops
and a garden yields its produce,
so the sovereign Lord will cause deliverance#tn Or perhaps, “righteousness,” but the context seems to emphasize deliverance and restoration (see v. 10 and 62:1). to grow,
and give his people reason to praise him in the sight of all the nations.#tn Heb “and praise before all the nations.”
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