The Year of Yahweh’s Favor

1 The Spirit of the Lord Yahweh is upon me,

because Yahweh has anointed me,

he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,

to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaimrelease to the captives

and liberation to those who are bound,

2 to proclaimthe year of Yahweh’s favor,

and our God’s day of vengeance,

to comfort all those in mourning,

3 to givefor those in mourning in Zion,

to give them a head wrap instead of ashes,

the oil of joy instead of mourning,

a garment of praise instead of a faint spirit.

And they will be calledoaks of righteousness,

the planting of Yahweh, to show his glory.

4 And they shall build the ancient ruins,

they shall erect the former deserted places.

And they shall restore the devastated cities,

the deserted places of many generations.

5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,

and foreignersshall be your farmers and vinedressers.

6 Butyou shall be called the priests of Yahweh,

you will be calledservers of our God.

You shall eat the wealth of the nations,

and you shall boast in their riches.

7 Instead of your shame, a double portion,

and instead of insult, they will rejoice over their portion.

Therefore they will take a double portion in their land;

they shall possess everlasting joy.

8 For I, Yahweh, love justice,

hate robbery andinjustice,

and I will faithfullygive their reward,

and I will makean everlasting covenant withthem.

9 And their descendantswill be known among the nations,

and their offspring in the midst of the peoples.

All those who see them shall recognize them,

that they are descendantswhom Yahweh has blessed.

10 I will rejoice greatly in Yahweh;

my being shall shout in exultation in my God.

For he has clothed me with garments of salvation,

he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom adorns himself with a head wrap like a priest,

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewelry.

11 For as the earth producesits sprout,

and as a garden makes its plants sprout,

so the Lord Yahweh will make righteousness sprout,

and praise before all the nations.