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The Lord’s Message of Freedom

61 The Lord God has put his Spirit in me,
    because the Lord has ·appointed [anointed] me to ·tell [bring] the good news to the poor.
    He has sent me to ·comfort [bind up] those whose hearts are broken,
to tell the captives they are free,
    and to tell the prisoners they are released.
He has sent me to announce the ·time when the Lord will show his kindness [year of the Lord’s favor; C an allusion to the Year of Jubilee; Lev. 25:10; Luke 4:18–19]
    and the ·time when our God will punish evil people [L day of vengeance of our God].
He has sent me to comfort all those who ·are sad [mourn]
    and to help the ·sorrowing [mourning] people of ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C location of the Temple; 59:20].
I will give them a ·crown [garland; headdress] to replace their ashes,
    and the oil of ·gladness [joy] to replace their ·sorrow [mourning],
    and ·clothes [a garment] of praise to replace their ·spirit of sadness [discouragement; heavy heart].
Then they will be called ·Trees of Goodness [or Oaks of Righteousness],
    trees planted by the Lord to show his ·greatness [glory; C manifest presence].

They will rebuild the ·old [ancient] ruins
    and restore the places destroyed long ago [58:12].
They will repair the ruined cities
    that were destroyed for ·so long [generations].

·Foreigners [Strangers] will come to tend your sheep.
    ·People from other countries [Foreigners] will ·tend [plow] your fields and vineyards.
You will be called priests of the Lord;
    you will be named the ·servants [ministers] of our God.
You will ·have riches from all the nations on earth [L eat the wealth of nations],
    and ·you will take pride in them [L in their glory you will boast].
Instead of ·being ashamed [your shame], you will receive ·twice as much wealth [a double portion].
    Instead of being ·disgraced [dishonored; humiliated], they will ·be happy because of what they receive [L rejoice over their portion].
They will receive a double share of the land,
    so ·their happiness will continue forever [L everlasting joy will be theirs].
“I, the Lord, love justice.
    I hate ·stealing [robbery] and ·everything that is wrong [wrongdoing].
·I will be fair and give my people what they should have [L I will reward/give wages in truth/faithfulness],
    and I will make an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with them that will continue forever.
·Everyone in all nations will know the children of my people [L Their descendants/seed will be known among the nations/Gentiles],
    and their ·children [offspring] will be known among the ·nations [peoples].
Anyone who sees them will know
    that they are ·people [descendants; seed] the Lord has blessed.”

10 I will ·rejoice [delight] greatly in the Lord;
    ·all that I am [my soul] ·rejoices [exults] in my God.
He has covered me with ·clothes [garments] of salvation
    and wrapped me with a ·coat [robe] of ·goodness [righteousness],
like a bridegroom ·dressed for his wedding [or who adorns himself with a headdress like a priest],
    like a bride ·dressed in [adorns herself with] jewels.
11 [L For as] The earth causes plants to grow,
    and a garden causes the seeds planted in it to grow.
In the same way the Lord God will make ·goodness [righteousness] and praise
    ·come [sprout; spring up] ·from [or before; in front of] all the nations.

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