Isaiah 61:1-4

1 The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

  because the Lord has anointed me

  to bring good news to the poor;

 He has sent me

  to bind up the broken-hearted,

 to proclaim liberty to the captives,

  and release to the prisoners;

2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour,

  and the day of vengeance of our God;

  to comfort all who mourn;

3 to settle those who mourn in Zion,

  to give them flowers instead of ashes,

 the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

  the mantle of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.

 Then, they will be called oaks of righteousness,

  the planting of the Lord to show His glory!

4 They will build up ancient wastelands,

  they will raise up former ruins;

 they will repair deserted cities,

  the devastation of past generations.

translation by Paul H Ashby © 2008 all rights reserved.