51:3 Certainly the Lord will console Zion;
he will console all her ruins.
He will make her wilderness like Eden,
her desert like the Garden of the Lord.
Happiness and joy will be restored to 1 her,
thanksgiving and the sound of music.
61:3 to strengthen those who mourn in Zion,
by giving them a turban, instead of ashes,
oil symbolizing joy, 2 instead of mourning,
a garment symbolizing praise, 3 instead of discouragement. 4
They will be called oaks of righteousness, 5
trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor. 6
1 tn Heb “found in” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
2 tn Heb “oil of joy” (KJV, ASV); NASB, NIV, NRSV “the oil of gladness.”
3 tn Heb “garment of praise.”
4 tn Heb “a faint spirit” (so NRSV); KJV, ASV “the spirit of heaviness”; NASB “a spirit of fainting.”
5 tn Rather than referring to the character of the people, צֶדֶק (tsedeq) may carry the nuance “vindication” here, suggesting that God’s restored people are a testimony to his justice. See v. 2, which alludes to the fact that God will take vengeance against the enemies of his people. Cf. NAB “oaks of justice.”
6 tn Heb “a planting of the Lord to reveal splendor.”