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Chapter 61

The Anointed Bearer of Glad Tidings

[a]The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me;
He has sent me to bring good news to the afflicted,
    to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
    release to the prisoners,(A)
To announce a year of favor from the Lord
    and a day of vindication by our God;
To comfort all who mourn;(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 61:1–2 The prophet proclaims that he has been anointed by the Lord to bring good news (cf. 40:9) to the afflicted and to comfort Zion. The background to the “year of favor” is the jubilee year of release from debts (Lv 25:10–11; Is 49:8).

Authentic Fasting That Leads to Blessing[a]

Is this not, rather, the fast that I choose:
    releasing those bound unjustly,
    untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
    breaking off every yoke?(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 58:6–12 Fasting is not genuine without reforming one’s way of life. A true social morality will ensure prosperity.