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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).

The Year of the Lord’s Favor

61 The Spirit(A) of the Sovereign Lord(B) is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed(C) me
    to proclaim good news(D) to the poor.(E)
He has sent me to bind up(F) the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom(G) for the captives(H)
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor(I)
    and the day of vengeance(J) of our God,
to comfort(K) all who mourn,(L)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blind

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.

“Is not this the kind of fasting(A) I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice(B)
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed(C) free
    and break every yoke?(D)

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