Isaiah 61

The Spirit of God our Lord is on me; he has appointed me to bring good news to those who are oppressed, to comfort those who are discouraged, and to free all those who are as though they are chained by the wrong things that they continually do.

He has sent me to tell those who mourn that now is the time when God will act kindly toward his people; now is the time when our God will get revenge on their enemies.

To all those in Jerusalem who mourn, he will give beautiful things to wear on their heads instead of ashes that they put on their heads to show that they were sad; he will cause them to rejoice instead of being sad; he will enable them to be happy instead of being discouraged. They will be called 'people who continually do what is right, people who are like tall oak trees that God has planted' to show others that he is very great.

Those who return from Babylon will rebuild the cities that the soldiers from Babylon tore down. Even though those cities have been destroyed and abandoned for many years, they will be restored.

Foreigners will be the ones who will take care of your flocks of sheep and goats, plow your fields, and take care of your grapevines.

But you are the ones who will be like the priests to serve God, to work for God. You will enjoy valuable goods that are brought from other nations, and you will be happy that those things have become yours.

Previously you were shamed and disgraced, but now you will have great blessings; previously your enemies humbled you, but now you will have many good things; you will be happy because you will be in your land again, and you will rejoice forever.

"I, God, am very pleased with those who decide matters fairly; I hate those who illegally take things from other people. I will surely repay my people for all that they have suffered in the past. And I will make an everlasting agreement with them.

Their descendants will be honored by people of other nations; their children will be honored by all the other nations. Everyone who sees them will know that they are a nation that I, God, have blessed."

I greatly rejoice because of what God has done! I am happy in all my inner being because he has saved me and declared that I am righteous; those blessings are like a robe that he has put on me. I am as happy as a bridegroom in his wedding clothes or a bride wearing jewels.

Just as seeds sown in a garden sprout from the soil and grow, God our God will cause people of all nations to act righteously, with the result that they will praise him for doing that.