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The Lord’s Message of Freedom

61 The Lord God has put his Spirit in me.
    This is because he has appointed me to tell the good news to the poor.
    He has sent me to comfort those whose hearts are broken.
He has sent me to tell the captives they are free.
    He has sent me to tell the prisoners that they are released.
He has sent me to announce the time when the Lord will show his kindness
    and the time when our God will punish evil people.
He has sent me to comfort all those who are sad.
He has sent me to the sorrowing people of Jerusalem.
    I will give them a crown to replace their ashes.
I will give them the oil of gladness to replace their sorrow.
    I will give them clothes of praise to replace their spirit of sadness.
Then they will be called Trees of Goodness.
    They will be like trees planted by the Lord and will show his greatness.

They will rebuild the old ruins.
    They will build up the places destroyed long ago.
They will repair the ruined cities
    that were destroyed for so long.

My people, foreigners will come to tend your sheep.
    People from other countries will tend your vineyards.
You will be called priests of the Lord.
    You will be named the servants of our God.
You will have riches from all the nations on earth.
    And you will take pride in them.
Instead of being ashamed, you will receive twice as much wealth.
    Instead of being disgraced, you will be happy because of what you receive.
You will receive a double share of the land.
    So your happiness will continue forever.
The Lord says, “I love justice.
    I hate stealing and everything that is wrong.
I will be fair and give my people what they should have.
    I will make an agreement with them that will continue forever.
Everyone in all nations will know the children of my people.
    And their children will be known among the nations.
Anyone who sees them will know
    that the Lord blesses them.”

10 The Lord makes me very happy.
    All that I am rejoices in my God.
The Lord has covered me with clothes of salvation.
    He has covered me with a coat of goodness.
I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding.
    I am like a bride dressed in jewels.
11 The earth causes plants to grow.
    And a garden causes the seeds planted there to grow.
In the same way the Lord God will make grow what is right.
    He will make praise come from all the nations.

61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.

For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.

For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed.

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.