Berean Standard Bible
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, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn, 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.
King James Version
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
About this verse
This is a commissioning speech, and its verbs are all rescue: anointed "to preach good news to the poor," sent "to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives." But the most striking lines are the trades at the end: "a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair." Each is an exchange — the ashes are accepted, and something is issued in their place. Grief is not scolded here; it is traded out.
Isaiah spoke these words to a people facing ruin and exile. Centuries later, in the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus stood up, was handed the scroll of Isaiah, read this very passage, and told the room the Scripture was fulfilled in their hearing — his own announcement of what he had come to do. He stopped reading, notably, at "the year of the LORD’s favor," leaving the day of vengeance for another day.
The passage ends with what the traded-out mourners become: "oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD" — slow-growing, deep-rooted, storm-tested trees. If you come to this text holding ashes, note the direction of the exchange. You are not asked to produce the beauty. You are asked to hand over the ashes.
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