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To proclaim [a]the favorable year of the Lord,
[b]And the day of vengeance and retribution of our God,
To comfort all who mourn,(A)

To grant to those who mourn in Zion the following:
To give them a [c]turban instead of dust [on their heads, a sign of mourning],
The oil of joy instead of mourning,
The garment [expressive] of praise instead of a disheartened spirit.
So they will be called the trees of righteousness [strong and magnificent, distinguished for integrity, justice, and right standing with God],
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.


Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins,
They will raise up and restore the former desolations;
And they will renew the ruined cities,
The desolations (deserted settlements) of many generations.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 61:2 The same as a day of salvation (49:8), and the year of my redeemed (63:4).
  2. Isaiah 61:2 See note Ezek 34:28.
  3. Isaiah 61:3 In the Hebrew there is a kind of wordplay here as “turban” (Heb pe’er) and dust (epher) have the same consonants and similar vowels.

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor(A)
    and the day of vengeance(B) of our God,
to comfort(C) all who mourn,(D)
    and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown(E) of beauty
    instead of ashes,(F)
the oil(G) of joy
    instead of mourning,(H)
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting(I) of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.(J)

They will rebuild the ancient ruins(K)
    and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
    that have been devastated for generations.

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