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Chapter 60

Zion’s Glory Dawns

[a]Arise and shine forth, for your light has come
    and the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you.
Even though darkness covers the earth
    and thick darkness enshrouds the peoples,
upon you the Lord will shine,
    and over you his glory will appear.
Nations will be guided by your light
    and kings by the brightness of your radiance.
Raise your eyes and look around;
    they are all assembling and returning to you.
Your sons are coming from far away,
    and your daughters will be carried
    in the arms of their nurses.
    [b]Then you will be radiant at what you behold,
    and your hearts will throb and rejoice.
For the riches of the sea will be brought to you,
    and the wealth of the nations will come to you.
Droves of camels will cover your land,
    the young camels from Midian and Ephah;
all from Sheba will come,
    laden with gold and frankincense,
    while the people proclaim the praises of the Lord.
All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you;
    the rams of Nebaioth will serve your needs.
They will be acceptable offerings on my altar,
    and I will enhance the splendor of my house.
Who are these that fly along like clouds
    and like doves to their dovecotes?
All the vessels are assembled
    from the seacoasts and the islands,
    with the ships of Tarshish in the lead;
they are bringing your children from far away,
    along with their silver and gold,
to pay honor to the name of the Lord, your God,
    the Holy One of Israel,
    for he has glorified you.
10 Foreigners will rebuild your walls,
    and their kings will be your servants.
Although I struck you down in my wrath,
    now in my mercy I will show you my favor.
11 Your gates will always be open;
    day and night they will never be shut,
so that the wealth of the nations may be brought to you,
    led by their kings in triumphal procession.
12 For the nation or the kingdom that refuses to serve you
    will be totally destroyed
    and suffer widespread devastation.
13 The glory of Lebanon will come to you,
    the cypress, the plane tree, and the pine,
    one and all,
to adorn my holy sanctuary
    and to honor the place where I stand.[c]
14 The sons of those who oppressed you
    will come forward and bend low before you,
and all those who despised you
    will bow down at your feet;
they will call you “City of the Lord,”
    “Zion of the Holy One of Israel.”
15 Whereas you have been forsaken and hated,
    with no one traveling through you,
I will make you an object of everlasting pride
    and a source of never-ending joy.
16 You will suck the milk of nations
    and be nursed at royal breasts.
Then you will know
    that I, the Lord, am your Savior
    and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,
    instead of iron I will bring you silver;
instead of wood, bronze,
    and instead of stone, iron.
I will ensure that you will be governed in peace
    and be ruled with righteousness.
18 No longer will violence appear in your land,
    nor will devastation and ruin occur within your borders.
You will call your walls “Salvation”
    and your gates “Praise.”
19 The sun will no longer serve
    as the source of your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon
    afford light to you during the night.
Rather, the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your God will be your splendor.
20 Never again will your sun go down,
    nor will your moon withdraw its light.
For the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your days of mourning will be ended.
21 Your people will all be righteous
    and possess the land forever.
They are the shoot that I have planted,
    my handiwork to exhibit my glory.
22 The least of you will become a thousand,
    and the weakest will become a mighty nation.
I am the Lord, and I will accomplish all this
    at the appointed time.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 60:1 Neither the walls nor the temple of the holy city have yet been rebuilt. The repatriates are tired of waiting for the renewal whose coming is delayed. To encourage them, the poet repeats the promises made during the Exile (Isa 54) and expounds his grandiose vision of a Jerusalem restored and renewed by the Lord. For human beings who grope along, questing in darkness, this vision awaits a fulfillment that is beyond time; the Book of Revelation will repeat it (Rev 21).
  2. Isaiah 60:5 The sea symbolizes the maritime powers, among them Phoenicia and Greece. Midian, Ephah, and Sheba (see 1 Ki 10:1-13) are peoples of Arabia. Kedar and the Nabateans (Nebaioth) are nomadic tribes. The islands evoke distant lands. Tarshish was a trading center set up in Spain by the Phoenicians, whose ships were therefore equipped for lengthy journeys and used for trading with the western Mediterranean.
  3. Isaiah 60:13 The trees of Lebanon will serve in the rebuilding of Jerusalem as they did long ago for Solomon’s temple.

The Gentiles Bless Zion

60 Arise, (A)shine;
For your light has come!
And (B)the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the Lord will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.
The (C)Gentiles shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.

“Lift(D) up your eyes all around, and see:
They all gather together, (E)they come to you;
Your sons shall come from afar,
And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
Then you shall see and become radiant,
And your heart shall swell with joy;
Because (F)the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.
The multitude of camels shall cover your land,
The dromedaries of Midian and (G)Ephah;
All those from (H)Sheba shall come;
They shall bring (I)gold and incense,
And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.
All the flocks of (J)Kedar shall be gathered together to you,
The rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you;
They shall ascend with (K)acceptance on My altar,
And (L)I will glorify the house of My glory.

“Who are these who fly like a cloud,
And like doves to their roosts?
(M)Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me;
And the ships of Tarshish will come first,
(N)To bring your sons from afar,
(O)Their silver and their gold with them,
To the name of the Lord your God,
And to the Holy One of Israel,
(P)Because He has glorified you.

10 “The(Q) sons of foreigners shall build up your walls,
(R)And their kings shall minister to you;
For (S)in My wrath I struck you,
(T)But in My favor I have had mercy on you.
11 Therefore your gates (U)shall be open continually;
They shall not be shut day or night,
That men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles,
And their kings in procession.
12 (V)For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish,
And those nations shall be utterly ruined.

13 “The(W) glory of Lebanon shall come to you,
The cypress, the pine, and the box tree together,
To beautify the place of My sanctuary;
And I will make (X)the place of My feet glorious.
14 Also the sons of those who afflicted you
Shall come (Y)bowing to you,
And all those who despised you shall (Z)fall prostrate at the soles of your feet;
And they shall call you The City of the Lord,
(AA)Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

15 “Whereas you have been forsaken and hated,
So that no one went through you,
I will make you an eternal excellence,
A joy of many generations.
16 You shall drink the milk of the Gentiles,
(AB)And milk the breast of kings;
You shall know that (AC)I, the Lord, am your Savior
And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

17 “Instead of bronze I will bring gold,
Instead of iron I will bring silver,
Instead of wood, bronze,
And instead of stones, iron.
I will also make your officers peace,
And your magistrates righteousness.
18 Violence shall no longer be heard in your land,
Neither [a]wasting nor destruction within your borders;
But you shall call (AD)your walls Salvation,
And your gates Praise.

God the Glory of His People

19 “The (AE)sun shall no longer be your light by day,
Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;
But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light,
And (AF)your God your glory.
20 (AG)Your sun shall no longer go down,
Nor shall your moon withdraw itself;
For the Lord will be your everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning shall be ended.
21 (AH)Also your people shall all be righteous;
(AI)They shall inherit the land forever,
(AJ)The branch of My planting,
(AK)The work of My hands,
That I may be glorified.
22 (AL)A little one shall become a thousand,
And a small one a strong nation.
I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 60:18 devastation

The Glory of Zion

60 Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For the darkness shall cover the earth
    and deep darkness the peoples;
but the Lord shall rise upon you,
    and His glory shall be seen upon you.
The nations shall come to your light
    and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Lift up your eyes all around, and see:
    They all gather themselves together; they come to you;
your sons shall come from afar,
    and your daughters shall be carried at your side.
Then you shall see and be radiant,
    and your heart shall thrill and rejoice
because the abundance of the sea shall be converted to you,
    the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
The multitude of camels shall cover your land,
    the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come;
    they shall bring gold and incense
    and shall bear good news of the praises of the Lord.
All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together to you,
    the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you;
they shall come up with acceptance on My altar,
    and I will glorify My glorious house.

Who are these who fly as a cloud
    and as the doves to their roosts?
Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me,
    and the ships of Tarshish shall come first,
to bring your sons from afar,
    their silver and their gold with them,
to the name of the Lord your God
    and to the Holy One of Israel
    because He has glorified you.

10 The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls,
    and their kings shall minister to you;
for in My wrath I struck you,
    but in My favor I have had mercy on you.
11 Therefore, your gates shall be open continually;
    they shall not be shut day nor night,
so that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations,
    and that their kings may be brought.
12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish,
    and those nations shall be utterly destroyed.

13 The glory of Lebanon shall come to you,
    the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box tree together,
to beautify the place of My sanctuary;
    and I will make the place of My feet glorious.
14 The sons also of those who afflicted you shall come bowing before you,
    and all those who despised you shall bow themselves down at the soles of your feet;
and they shall call you, The City of the Lord,
    the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

15 Whereas you have been forsaken
    and hated so that no man went through you,
I will make you an eternal excellency,
    a joy of many generations.
16 You shall also suck the milk of the nations
    and suck the breast of kings;
then you shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior
    and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 Instead of bronze I will bring gold,
    and instead of iron I will bring silver;
and instead of wood, bronze;
    and instead of stones, iron.
I will also make your officers peace
    and your exactors righteousness.
18 Violence shall no more be heard in your land,
    nor devastation or destruction within your borders;
but you shall call your walls Salvation
    and your gates Praise.
19 The sun shall no longer be your light by day,
    nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;
but the Lord shall be an everlasting light to you
    and your God for your glory.
20 Your sun shall no more go down,
    nor shall your moon wane;
for the Lord shall be your everlasting light,
    and the days of your mourning shall end.
21 Then all your people shall be righteous;
    they shall inherit the land forever,
the branch of My planting,
    the work of My hands,
    that I may be glorified.
22 A little one shall become a thousand,
    and a small one a strong nation.
I, the Lord,
    will hasten it in its time.

60 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.

Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.

The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord.

All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.

Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?

Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.

10 And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.

11 Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.

12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.

13 The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.

14 The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee; The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

15 Whereas thou has been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.

16 Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

17 For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.

18 Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.

19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.

20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.

21 Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.

22 A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time.