1 ARST The Spirit of Yahweh our Lord is on me; he has appointed me to bring good news to those who are oppressed, to comfort those who are discouraged, and to free all those who are as though they are chained by the wrong things that they continually do. BSB BSB: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners,
2 ARST He has sent me to tell those who mourn that now is the time when Yahweh will act kindly toward his people; now is the time when our God will get revenge on their enemies. BSB BSB: to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn,
3 ARST To all those in Jerusalem who mourn, he will give beautiful things to wear on their heads instead of ashes that they put on their heads to show that they were sad; he will cause them to rejoice instead of being sad; he will enable them to be happy instead of being discouraged. They will be called‘people who continually do what is right, people who are like tall oak trees that Yahweh has planted’ to show others that he is very great. BSB BSB: to console the mourners in Zion—to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.
4 ARST Those who return from Babylon will rebuild the cities that the soldiers from Babylon tore down. Even though those cities have been destroyed and abandoned for many years, they will be restored. BSB BSB: They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.
5 ARST Foreigners will be the ones who will take care of your flocks of sheep and goats, and plow your fields and take care of your grapevines. BSB BSB: Strangers will stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners will be your plowmen and vinedressers.
6 ARST But you are the ones who will be like the priests to serve Yahweh, to work for God. You will enjoy valuable goods that are brought from other nations, and you will be happy that those things have become yours. BSB BSB: But you will be called the priests of the LORD; they will speak of you as ministers of our God; you will feed on the wealth of nations, and you will boast in their riches.
7 ARST Previously you were shamed and disgraced, but now you will have great blessings; previously your enemies humbled you, but now you will have many good things; you will be happy because you will be in your land again, and you will rejoice forever. BSB BSB: Instead of shame, My people will have a double portion, and instead of humiliation, they will rejoice in their share; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.
8 ARST “I, Yahweh, am very pleased with those who decide matters fairly; I hate those who illegally take things from other people. I will surely repay my people for all that they have suffered in the past. And I will make an everlasting agreement with them. BSB BSB: For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity; in My faithfulness I will give them their recompense and make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 ARST Their descendants will be honored by people of other nations; their children will be honored by all the other nations. Everyone who sees them will know that they are a nation that I, Yahweh, have blessed.” BSB BSB: Their descendants will be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed.
10 ARST I greatly rejoice because of what Yahweh has done! I am happy in all my inner being, because he has saved me and declared that I am righteous; those blessings are like a robe that he has put on me. I am as happy as a bridegroom in his wedding clothes, or a bride wearing jewels. BSB BSB: I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom wears a priestly headdress, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 ARST Just as seeds sown in a garden sprout from the soil and grow, Yahweh our God will cause people of all nations to act righteously, with the result that they will praise him for doing that. BSB BSB: For as the earth brings forth its growth, and as a garden enables seed to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.