Isaiah 61 - The Spirit of the Lord GOD Is Upon Me

Anointed to bind up the brokenhearted and give beauty for ashes to the mourning.

Isaiah 61: Anointed to Preach Good Tidings

Following Zion's rising glory in Isaiah 60, the servant declares himself anointed by the Spirit of the Lord GOD to preach good tidings to the meek, bind up the brokenhearted, and proclaim liberty to captives and the opening of the prison to the bound.


The Spirit of the Lord Yahweh is on me; because Yahweh has anointed me to preach good news to the humble; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening [of the prison] to those who are bound;

to proclaim the year of Yahweh's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;

to appoint to those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, that he may be glorified.

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.

Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners shall be your plowmen and your vine-dressers.

But you shall be named the priests of Yahweh; men shall call you the ministers of our God: you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory shall you boast yourselves.

Instead of your shame [you shall have] double; and instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be to them.

For I, Yahweh, love justice, I hate robbery with iniquity; and I will give them their recompense in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

Their seed shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which Yahweh has blessed.

I will greatly rejoice in Yahweh, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the earth brings forth its bud, and as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord Yahweh will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

This opening declaration, examined closely at <a href="/bible/web/isaiah/chapter-61/1">Isaiah 61:1</a>, is the very passage Jesus reads aloud in the synagogue in <a href="/bible/web/luke/chapter-4/18">Luke 4:18-19</a>, and the chapter closes with the servant clothed in garments of salvation like a bridegroom and bride.